The Bombing of Guernica, 1937 The Bombing of Guernica, 1937 The German bombers appeared in the skies over Guernica in the late afternoon of April 26, 1937 and immediately transformed the sleepy Spanish market town into an everlasting symbol of the atrocity of war. Unbeknownst to the residents of Guernica, they had been slated by their attackers to become guinea pigs in an experiment designed to determine just what it would take to bomb a city into oblivion. Spain was embroiled in a convulsive civil war that had begun in July 1936 when the right-wing Nationalists led by General Francisco Franco sought to overthrow Spain's left-wing Republican government. It did not take long before this bloody internal Spanish quarrel attracted the participation of forces beyond its borders - creating a lineup of opponents that foreshadowed the partnerships that would battle each other in World War II. Hitler's support of Franco consisted of the Condor Legion, an adjunct of the Luftwaffe.
The Legacy Project - Exhibition Intro By Paul Haim Without doubt, Guernica is Picasso's masterpiece, indeed the major artwork of the 20th century. The painting is remarkable for many reasons. First, though this may only be understood in retrospect, is Guernica's influence on the popular imagination. The tragedy unfolds on Monday, April 26, 1937. In 1937, public opinion had not yet hardened against such scenes of devastation, as it would by the end of World War II. Guernika was a peaceful, small city. Guernica has been described by a number of art historians as a painting of war, much like the large battlefield paintings of the 18th century. Picasso never clearly explained his use of the horse and the bull in Guernica. In April 1936, before the outbreak of the civil war, the Spanish government had commissioned from Picasso a large painting, intended for the Spanish pavilion of the 1937 World's Fair. As a result, we find ourselves before a remarkable and singular painting. Enter here