How has Picasso Used his Art Making in his painting “Guernica” to Comment the Atrocities of War?

How has Picasso Used his Art Making in his painting “Guernica” to Comment the Atrocities of War?

Guernica, is a painting by Pablo Picasso, a famous Spanish artist. It was painted as a reaction to the bombing of Guernica, Spain during the Spanish Civil War in 1937.
The painting is a large canvas mural, stretching 7.8 metres wide - 3.5 metres tall. Originally painted to be displayed at the 1937 World Fair in Paris.
Guernica shows the tragedies of war as well as the anguish and destruction it inflicts upon people, especially innocent civilians. He uses people and animals to symbolise death and suffering. Picasso has shown the atrocities of war through technique such as shape, colour, line and size. Also showing turmoil, with buildings in disarray - torn apart by violence and mayhem.

Picasso has used innocent civilians and animals to symbolise the atrocities of war. 
The encompassing scenario is set within a room where, in a part on the left, a women grieves over the death of the small child. The women holding her dead baby in her arms represents innocence lost and unrelenting violence of the bombing. The mother shows her pain and suffering with her head dramatically tilted backwards, in a scream of rage.

The soldier below the horse has died in a pained and frightened position, clutching a broken sword from which a flower springs up. This represents his defeat and attempt to fight against modern weaponry.
The flower, amongst all the chaos represent hope. It shows how hope can be found and grows out of the most violent and painful situations.

The lightbulb in the sun, symbolises the hopelessness of man's attempt to appeal to God for help. Picasso may have also intended the symbolism of the bulb to be associated with the Spanish word for light bulb which is “bombilla”. This brings to mind the word “bomb”, which could symbolise the detrimental impact which technology can have on humanity.

Towards the upper right a fearful female that appears to be watching the actions in front of her. She seems to have floated through a window into the room searching for an escape. Her floating arm is holding a flaming lamp symbolising hope. The lamp is very close to the bulb so the symbolism of hope is in opposition to the symbolism of hopelessness portrayed by the light bulb. Staggering in from the right, is a horror-struck woman who looks up vacantly into the glaring light bulb.

Picasso has also shown the atrocities of war through technique, use of colour, and shape. By using a monochromatic palette consisting of only black, white and grey-blue tones, it symbolises death, mourning and tragedy. Picasso believed that bright colours might distract the viewer from the agony of the scene.
The sharp lines, jagged edges, repeating shapes and patterns (e.g. the horse’s hair) show the suffering, pain and harshness of war as it effects the entire civilisation. All of these techniques help to focus the viewer’s on what is really happening in the painting.
Part of the reason that Guernica is such a powerful painting, is its sheer size. People who see it in person are always amazed at how immense it is. As people walk up to the painting, they tend to feel dwarfed by it, and soon begin to feel like they are within the image. This would make it more emotional for the viewer if they feel the pain and suffering of the scenario, and they can relate to the painting in this way.

Picasso’s painting, laden with symbolism stirs an emotional response turning the viewer against the horrors of war. It assisted in bringing the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War to the worlds attention, and appeals to an audience today because the themes are still relevant.