Question

1.How did Ben Shahn express his outrage about the Sacco and Vanzetti trial in this painting?

2.How did Ben Shahn express his outrage about the Sacco and Vanzetti trial in this painting?
3.How did Picasso strengthen the effect of suffering in Guernica?

Answer 1

Pablo Picasso used a monochromatic palette and abstraction to convey the horror in Guernica. The chaotic composition and dramatic diagonals in the painting serve to highlight the terror and suffering of war, making it a powerful political statement and an enduring symbol against war.

Step-by-step explanation:

How Picasso Communicated Suffering in Guernica

Pablo Picasso expressed his outrage against war and the suffering it causes through the monumental painting, Guernica. To strengthen the effect of suffering in this painting, Picasso employed a monochromatic palette, consisting of grays, blacks, and whites, which could evoke the starkness of newspaper reports on the bombing of Guernica. This choice may highlight the documentary and factual nature of the tragedy. Furthermore, the painting’s chaotic and jagged movement is accentuated by dramatic diagonals and the abstraction of the figures, amplifying the horror and chaos wrought by war.

The depiction of the bombing's victims, including a gored horse, mutilated figures, and expressions of despair, graphically illustrates the immediate impact and brutality of war. Guernica became a central attraction at the 1937 International Exposition in Paris, serving not only as a piece of art but also as a political statement that shocked the world into facing the harsh realities of war. The painting’s continued relevance is underlined by instances like the concealment of its tapestry reproduction at the United Nations to avoid conflicting with pro-war rhetoric, demonstrating the enduring power of images to influence public perception and attitudes.

Answer 2

Ben Shahn was a Lithuanian born American artist. He is known for his works of social realism, his political views, and lectures.

Step-by-step explanation:

• When Shahn was only four years old, his socialist father was exiled to Siberia because the Russian government suspected he was a revolutionary. Shahn remembered launching his own sort of protest as a child when he would shout “Down with the Czar!” at anyone wearing a uniform.

• Pablo Picasso strengthened the effect of suffering in Guernica by the use of black and white and gray paint. No colors are seen, much like after a real bombing when everything is covered in dust and ash. He also used the expressions of the people and animals to strengthen the effect.
• People on the canvas look about them with open mouths; they are either gasping or crying in pain. The horse is being run through with a javelin, and it is clearly in pain.