Pablo Picasso's famous "Guernica," painted in 1937 as the Second World War loomed large, celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2017. Following the occasion, the French capital's Musée National Picasso-Paris has partnered with the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid to present an exhibition about the history of the painting. The show runs March 27 to July 29, 2018.
Housed since 1992 in the Spanish capital's Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, "Guernica" was painted in 1937 and went on to become a symbol of anti-Francoism, antifascism and pacifism. Inspired by the destruction of Guernica by Nazi forces during the Spanish Civil War -- two years before the Second World War -- the painting is also a landmark work in the history of art, often analyzed, remarked, theorized and cited.
The Musée National Picasso-Paris has joined forces with the Madrid museum for an exhibition exploring the history and significance of this monumentally large painting, which celebrated its 80th anniversary last year.
The first section of the show will look at the origins of "Guernica," with various sketches and studies, including works depicting bullfights from the 1930s to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.
Visitors will then discover a second set of works dedicated to the painting's influence and posterity. It will also evoke how "Guernica" was perceived by contemporaries, framed by the political and literary context of the time.
Guernica was displayed in the Spanish Pavilion of the 1937 International Exposition in Paris, and played a role in uniting Spain's anti-Francoist artistic scene, before becoming a pacifist icon in the aftermath of the war.
The exhibition will also look at the work's return to Spain in 1981 and its influence on 20th-century art. Large-format artworks by contemporary artists will feature throughout the exhibition.
"Guernica" runs March 27 to July 29, 2018, at Musée National Picasso-Paris,
