A Fragile Display of War

On April 26, 1937, twenty-eight Nazi German bombers surged through the skies of the town of Guernica, Spain wreaking havoc and killing between 250 and 1,600 people. This act of cruelty brought the Spanish Civil War to the eyes of the world. It also sparked the creation of one of the most famous modern paintings- Pablo Picasso’s great masterpiece “Guernica”. The painting portrays Picasso’s interpretation of the air raid bombings and destruction brought down upon the Basque town, it presents death, violence, brutality, suffering and helplessness. It is often said that this work stands above all as a perpetual reminder of the tragedies of war, an anti-war symbol, and an embodiment of peace.

















Commissioned by the Spanish government, the 11ft tall, 25.6 ft wide mural was originally created for display at the Paris International Exhibition. At the completion of the World’s Fair event in Paris the massive painting went on tour around the world. In the over 70 years since its creation it has continued to tour, showing in great museums and even the United Nations building. But the time for touring may be drawing to a close.

When it was on display at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City restorers spent painstaking hours working to preserve the integrity of the piece from the wear and tear of thousands of exhibitions and as many miles of travel. It now resides at the Renia Sofia museum in Spain.

This week art experts have alerted the media that Picasso’s masterpiece is in “stable but serious” condition. Apparently, the years have taken its toll and has “suffered a lot and needs special care”. Curators from the famous contemporary art museum in Madrid gave their initial conclusions of the first detailed examination of the painting in ten years in a press conference on Tuesday.

There are no imminent plans for another restoration of the painting, as it would risk damaging it even further. The Spanish government has refused to move the famous work from Madrid to Guernica, in the Basque Country – or to the Guggenheim Museum in the Basque city of Bilbao.