Visual language is used in art to give meaning to artworks. Many artists use signs and symbols to convey many messages or communicate certain ideas or even to express their thoughts and feelings on certain topics, whether political or personal. Some artists who used symbolism in their artworks included: Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and Gordon Bennett.
Pablo Picasso was an artist who often used signs and symbols in his artworks. He was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and stage designer. He is one of the most influential artists from the 20th century and is widely known for co-founding the Cubist movement. One of his most known artworks “Guernica” was created in 1937, oil on canvas, in response to the Spanish Civil War from the bombings of Guernica, depicting suffering people, animals, and buildings wrenched by violence and chaos. “Guernica” is a mural painted in black and white. Two of the dominant elements in “Guernica” are the bull and the horse, which are important characters in Spanish culture. These characters were also used to play many different roles in his artworks overtime. The horse is the main focal point of the painting, due to its large gaping wound. The bull’s tail forms the image of a flame, symbolising the violence and danger of war.
In the bottom vector of the painting is a deceased soldier. On the open palm of the soldier is a stigma, which is a symbol of martyrdom derived from the stigmata of Christ. In the central top of the painting is a light bulb in the shape of an eye. This is to symbolise a bomb coming from the Spanish word for light bulb, “bombilla” In contrast to the light bulb, there is a female figure holding a flame-lit lamp which is to symbolise hope. The broken sword in the bottom of the painting is to symbolise the defeat of the people. Furthermore, the posture and shape of the bodies is to express