On April 26, 1937, in the middle of the Spanish Civil War, the Basque town of Guernica was bombed. It wasn’t a military target. It was Market Day. The streets were full of families, children, and elderly citizens. That didn’t stop the attack.
German and Italian warplanes, supporting the dictator
Francisco Franco dropped bombs for hours, destroying most of the town. Over
1,600 people were killed or wounded. Buildings were flattened. Fire spread
everywhere.
The attack shocked the world. It was one of the first times
in history that civilians were the primary target of an aerial bombing. For
many, it was a terrifying preview of what World War II would soon unleash.
Picasso heard about it while living in Paris. He was
devastated. And furious. He had been asked to paint something for the 1937
World’s Fair. Instead of a celebration of progress, he chose to show the world
the dark reality of modern war.
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