the same facial features of the mother. One has aseverely injured leg and drags her disabled body behind her. The other womenscreams in terror as she is trapped in a burning building. It is significant thatPicasso, in all three representations of the Spanish masses, uses a femalecharacter. This is most likely due the historically inferior role of women in nearlyall societies. Therefore, he accentuates this weak condition through the sex hechooses to present his embodiment of the Spaniards. The decapitated soldier in the foreground of the painting exhibits the facialexpression derived from Greek and Roman drama and reliefs, however, heexpresses signs of influence from other earlier art, which gives it a different role inthe painting. This image has its roots in the biblical images of the Crucifix andChristian art depicting the scene of Christ suffering on the cross. The mostclosely related to Picasso’s images are the most grotesque depictions ofcrucifixions common in Medieval churches, from stained glass to paintings andfrescos. In addition to the arms of the soldier being spread across the bottom ofthe painting in a cross form, he has lacerations covering his arms as if he hadbeen scratched a multitude of times. In the Medieval renderings of the Crucifix,The scrapes and cuts on the body of Christ from the thorns he wore, areemphasized immensely. The bloody appearance of the lines on the arms of thesoldier indicate similar scratches. This interpretation of the soldier is particularly suitable to the goal Picassohad in mind. Dante believed “the hottest places in hell are reserved for thosewho in times of moral crisis maintain neutrality” (source unknown). The soldiertells us a similar message. In the Medieval churches such grotesque imagery wasused as political propaganda by the church to increase its power over themasses. The scene of Christ on the cross instilled fear in the common man which motivated...
