Final answer:
Robert Motherwell's 'Elegy to the Spanish Republic' series of paintings was inspired by the Spanish Civil War, specifically the defeat of the Spanish Republic in 1939.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Robert Motherwell's series of paintings titled 'Elegy to the Spanish Republic' is based on the tragic historical event of the defeat of the Spanish Republic by fascist forces in early 1939, marking the end of the Spanish Civil War. Motherwell, influenced by this event, created a profound series of artworks, which he described as funeral songs. These paintings explore the themes of life, death, and resistance. Particularly, in Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 57, Motherwell employed recurring black ovals and strong contrasting black shapes against a white background, representing a metaphor for the contrast between life and death and evoking images associated with bullfighting—a cultural reference point for the tragedy of the Spanish Civil War.