Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 8,805
A Painting Against a Crime!
On April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the city of Gernika (Guernica), sacred to the Basques, was attacked by bombers of the German "Legion Condor" ...
... as well as the Italian" Aviazione Legionaria di Corpo Truppe Volontarie"...
... almost completely destroyed from the air ...:
1654 people (including many refugees from other contested regions are killed - 889 are injured!
The - officially - "voluntary" German and Italian aviation associations (also their planes and bombs were of course "voluntary"!) supported the troops of the fascist putschist General Francisco Franco, which at the time were trivialized as "national-Spanish" ...:
The two for this first area bombing in history - and without a doubt a war crime! - responsible commanders were General der Flieger Bolko von Richthofen (only distantly related to the famous "Red Baron" of the First World War!) ...
...and the Italian Generale aeronatica Giuseppe Valle...
The one in Paris at number 7 on Rue des Grands-Augustins ...
... living Spanish painter Pablo Ruiz Picasso - a supporter of the Spanish Republic - then painted his most famous work in his studio in the same house in a very short time, day and night work:
The monumental painting "Guernica" ...:
"Guernica" was shown publicly for the first time on July 12, 1937 at Paris in the French pavilion of the world exhibition ...:
The picture caused a tremendous sensation not only because of its artistic style, but also because of its content!
Therefore, after the end of the Paris World Exhibition, the painting went on an extensive journey through Northern Europe and the USA.
Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, London, Leeds, Liverpool and New York were the stations where the painting was to advertise the Republican side in the civil war.
The fascist states Italy, Spain and Germany expressed - which is not surprising - no interest!
Picasso did not keep any of the income from the respective exhibitions - he donated the entire amount to a foundation for the victims of the Spanish civil war!
In addition, he notarized that he bequeathed the picture to the Spanish people!
But it should not be allowed to go to Spain until the hated fascist Franco dictatorship there has been replaced by a newly created and democratically constituted Spanish republic!
Until then the picture was exhibited in the "Museum of Modern Art" in New York ...:
Unfortunately, Picasso did not live to see the end of the fascist dictatorship in Spain - died on April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France, but his disposition over "Guernica" was confirmed in his will!
After Franco's death on November 20, 1975 and the re-establishment of democracy in Spain, the picture was brought to Madrid on September 10, 1981.
Since then it has been exhibited in the "Museo Reina Sofía" ...:
"Guernica" may - this was also laid down in his will by its creator - never again be loaned anywhere!
However, if you take Picasso's will very carefully, "Guernica" shouldn't even be in Madrid today, but should still be in New York:
Although Spain is a democratic state today, it is not a "resurrected republic" as the painter had decreed, but a monarch - a parliamentary one, but a monarchy nonetheless ...
On April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the city of Gernika (Guernica), sacred to the Basques, was attacked by bombers of the German "Legion Condor" ...
... as well as the Italian" Aviazione Legionaria di Corpo Truppe Volontarie"...
... almost completely destroyed from the air ...:
1654 people (including many refugees from other contested regions are killed - 889 are injured!
The - officially - "voluntary" German and Italian aviation associations (also their planes and bombs were of course "voluntary"!) supported the troops of the fascist putschist General Francisco Franco, which at the time were trivialized as "national-Spanish" ...:
The two for this first area bombing in history - and without a doubt a war crime! - responsible commanders were General der Flieger Bolko von Richthofen (only distantly related to the famous "Red Baron" of the First World War!) ...
...and the Italian Generale aeronatica Giuseppe Valle...
The one in Paris at number 7 on Rue des Grands-Augustins ...
... living Spanish painter Pablo Ruiz Picasso - a supporter of the Spanish Republic - then painted his most famous work in his studio in the same house in a very short time, day and night work:
The monumental painting "Guernica" ...:
"Guernica" was shown publicly for the first time on July 12, 1937 at Paris in the French pavilion of the world exhibition ...:
The picture caused a tremendous sensation not only because of its artistic style, but also because of its content!
Therefore, after the end of the Paris World Exhibition, the painting went on an extensive journey through Northern Europe and the USA.
Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, London, Leeds, Liverpool and New York were the stations where the painting was to advertise the Republican side in the civil war.
The fascist states Italy, Spain and Germany expressed - which is not surprising - no interest!
Picasso did not keep any of the income from the respective exhibitions - he donated the entire amount to a foundation for the victims of the Spanish civil war!
In addition, he notarized that he bequeathed the picture to the Spanish people!
But it should not be allowed to go to Spain until the hated fascist Franco dictatorship there has been replaced by a newly created and democratically constituted Spanish republic!
Until then the picture was exhibited in the "Museum of Modern Art" in New York ...:
Unfortunately, Picasso did not live to see the end of the fascist dictatorship in Spain - died on April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France, but his disposition over "Guernica" was confirmed in his will!
After Franco's death on November 20, 1975 and the re-establishment of democracy in Spain, the picture was brought to Madrid on September 10, 1981.
Since then it has been exhibited in the "Museo Reina Sofía" ...:
"Guernica" may - this was also laid down in his will by its creator - never again be loaned anywhere!
However, if you take Picasso's will very carefully, "Guernica" shouldn't even be in Madrid today, but should still be in New York:
Although Spain is a democratic state today, it is not a "resurrected republic" as the painter had decreed, but a monarch - a parliamentary one, but a monarchy nonetheless ...
