ofFascism for all time. Not only is the size of the mural overwhelming, but theshocking images that mix classic symbols with modern technique provide anemotion and passion that is unforgettable.While passion and empathy undeniably drove Picasso to choose hissubject, Guernica, it is not the fruit of spontaneous emotion, but of acontemplation for the unpredictable fate of all humans at the mercy of evil, whichis expressed through his dedication to the past. “The deliberation with whichPicasso worked out the symbolism of Guernica and the form exactly appropriateto its expression represents one aspect of his debt to the long tradition ofclassical art” (Blunt 44). Picasso, while ahead of his contemporaries ininnovative style and technique, does not portray contemporary imagery. Specifically, he does not represent the scene realistically as he eliminates anydistinct features of the event such as symbols of Fascism itself. Only the title ofthe work gives any indication of the subject which is being expressed, making thispiece applicable to many events throughout modern history. It is Picasso’s use ofclassic, ancient and religious symbols that creates this tone. “It appears thatPicasso, lamenting for the Guernica victims, calls upon past great lamentations”(Becraft 21). The design of Guernica is formulated upon the banal symbols ofeach figure.In comparing Picasso to predecessors of political propaganda it is clearlydefined that “in these paintings the artists were not concerned to show thebeauties of nature or the nobility of man, but on the contrary the evil of the worldand the brutality of human beings. They therefore felt at liberty to underline theugliness of the created universe, to distort the human figure, and to inventmonsters to convey their meaning. But Picasso, who had broken down theseconventions, was able to go further, to use more violent distortions, to disrupt thebodies of human bei...
