YOUR TASK: In your blog, practice INDUCTIVE THINKING. Please describe which THREE clues, or details, were the most significant to this painting and why. Try to find something that no one else in the class sees. Then, try to piece them together to tell a larger story, message, or theme. Remember to make the story as complete as possible.
Please remember to read others' posts before you create your own, and try to reference someone else's interpretation.
NOTE: This is a complex painting. If you don't succeed in interpreting the painting the first time around, try a different angle...focus on just one part of the painting, then look at the corners, then just the bottom, or the top, etc. Keep gather little clues, one at a time, until you start to see a larger picture. Take a risk; good thinking trumps a correct answer any time.
DUE: Thursday, August 18th by 8:00 a.m.
This painting, Guernica, painted by Pablo Picasso, represents the Spanish Civil War. One clue that is very significant to this painting is a bull standing over a women on the far left holding her dead baby. This is important because it shows how war can kill harmless and innocent people, as well as animals to make others suffer. There is a man on the ground under the horse, whose arm has been cut off while holding a sword. There is also a little flower growing from the sword showing the power of life. This shows how the people who fight for their nation should be recognized and acknowledged for risking their life for their country. A women is coming in through the window with a candle showing that there is a lighted path out of this war, but it may be difficult to find. The overall message of this painting is that war is a terrible answer to a question and that harmless and innocent people and animals are being killed.
ReplyDeleteI think its interesting that you saw life in the painting while others may have just seen chaos.
DeleteFrom this painting, I see the importance of what a war, a riot, or even abusing a person or a group of people can do. At the very top of this painting there is a light bulb inside of a sun shining light which I get out that someone had an idea to start this fight. That someone thought that this fight would resolves issues that a people have had in the past. Even though fights like these can do awful things to a community, it does helps someone or a community step up to come closer together. In the far right there is a person who looks like is being drowned, tortured and losing hope. There is also a spear in a horse in the middle of the painting that seems scared out of its mind. But then there is a person who is holding a candle to shine light through everything awful that is going on. The message of this painting is similar to Haley's idea, but I also think it means that terrible times like these will bring people closer together.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of the idea of war bringing people together and now I feel like that is a great point.
DeleteI really like your insight with this painting! It brings to light things I didn't initially think about when I first looked at this painting. I liked the idea you brought to the table about the sun light representing someones idea to start a fight. I thought that was really intelligent
Deleteone of the first things I noticed in the painting was the bull on the left and that every part about it looks like a normal bull except for the horns. I think I and probably man others pick this detail out because it is one of the only distinguishable characters in the painting. After another couple of glances I picked up the figure holding the broken sword, which immediately screams "Fallen soldier" to me. I looked at Haley's posts and she said that this represents the Spanish civil war. This idea fits what ive just said being that the bull its a big spiritual symbol of Spain and that there were soldiers and many who died. The rest of this painting to me was just chaos embodied. There are too many figures in this little room, some look like they are screaming dome look like they are dead, and others I still don't know what they are doing. I personally do not like the style of this painting, but if I had to generalize its theme, I would say it is about turmoil and confusion, likely as the result of conflict.
ReplyDeleteI think your insight about the bull being a spiritual symbol of Spain does really back up the idea that Haley had and I also like your idea about the fallen soldier. That is something I never really thought about.
DeleteThis painting brings out a lot of emotion and depth in just this small area depicting in which I personally like to think a battle of some sort that left almost everyone if not all in a morbid state. The three clues that stick out to me most are how all the participants seem to have swords or weapons of some type either in their hands or impaled in themselves making me think a battle went down. I also noticed the panic in the animal's faces showing bad things happened as well as the images of ghosts rising from the fallen men meaning they are leaving to go off to somewhere else. The story I see that sadly came true here is that these people were battling over this secret place where treasure or artifacts of sorts may have been hidden, but all to quickly these men died from their counterpart's swords and from that point the ghosts rose from their bodies to haunt all living things including the animals shown in this picture.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI really like how you used your imagination to create this story however you wanted to.
DeleteYour insight about this painting. I didn't think about them as ghost before. That is very interesting.
DeleteThe first thing I noticed about this painting was that all of the people and animals in it look scared. I think that this shows that in every conflict, whether it be a war, a riot, or something else it is not only the person or group of people who are being attacked who are scared, it is the attackers themselves. It truly displays how man attacks and lashes out when we are afraid and are not always doing so in a confident way. As Michael said it is very crowded and chaotic in the small room and people are getting trampled by animals and other people. This expresses the idea of disorientation not only in the physical sense, but confusion and clumsiness on a grander scale during wartime. A regular battlefield may not actually be as small as this painting but it may feel that way during war to everyone from a general to a soldier. I also can't help but notice the man laying on the ground with the broken sword in his hand. This symbolizes death and destruction in this painting. It seems like he has been trampled by the horse who has been speared itself. This can show how chain reactions can happen where one event can cause a ripple effect causing more and more to happen. This painting shows the horrors and chaos of war other types of conflict.
ReplyDeleteI thought that your reply gave an interesting perspective as to the mindsets of both sides of a conflict.
DeleteThe first thing that I see is the guy chopped up on the bottom of the page. In his hand looks like some type of weapon broken in which is stabbed in someone else. The whole painting really shows a lot of violence every where. I personally think that a war went off and something of some sort happened to everyone and everything in this painting. This painting really shows of a lot of scared, dis-formed and messed up animals. One of the main things that really stick out to me, is how the horse's leg is like stepping on the guys head. Now I'm thinking that the guy got injured and fell on the ground, then the horse just like cut of his head with its hooves. I find it really weird how the only body parts that are showing is the guys head and his arm. But everyone in this painting has something going on with it like, some animals look like they are in pain, some of the people look scared or dead. I think that all these people are really having a hard life. So ya that is what I see
ReplyDeleteYou noticed a lot of details I didn't catch.
DeleteYa for sure I agree one hundred percent
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAt first glance this image to me represents a young child in bed afraid of the monsters in his closet. This made me think of going to bed at night and being left with your thoughts. Some people are filled with the joys of their day, while others are left with tragedy. The next thing I noticed was the bull wrapping the cape around the child. This connects to my last observation because it shows that we can often get wrapped up in our thoughts and not be able to think clearly. Another important detail is the fact that the light was turned on but only cast a the beam to the left side of the room. The right side of the room where the closet seems to be located is left in the shadow. All of these "monsters" seem to be coming from the closet in that corner. This to me was much like the root of the problem, the light being our perspective. All we see is the problems themselves rather than looking further to the source and cutting them off. The door to the closet could be closed at any moment but because the light only allows you to see so much, you miss that point. All in all the image to me represents the way people tend to solve problems. Rather then finding the source, we often try and tackle them head on and eventually get wrapped up. Rather it be in war or in your room at night, we all need to focus on the roots and work our way out. (re-posted this comments because it only showed my first name)
ReplyDeleteI had never thought of that! This was a very creative and imaginative story that you were able to see.
DeleteFrom prior knowledge, I can gather that this painting is a representation of the Spanish Civil War. It demonstrates how innocent civilians were being treated. The first thing that catches my eye from this painting is the horse stomping on top of the fallen soldier. This is significant because it depicts soldiers loosing their lives, whilst fighting for what they believe in. Another thing I notice is the person coming through the window with a candle. I believe this represents hope, just as Delaney said it was, "...a candle to shine light through everything awful that is going on." A third detail I see is a dove in the upper left part of the painting. Doves are typically associated with hope, just as the light was. I find it interesting that it was so difficult to find. I believe it represents hope being there, but also difficult to find. Overall, I believe this painting depicts suffering and torture during war, as well as how it damaged the Spanish culture.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that the things that represent hope are the hardest to find.
DeleteI think this painting represents fear. It appears to be different types of monsters in a house. It makes me think of a small child in bed at night being afraid of monsters in their closet. Sometimes not everyone sees the monsters someone is facing, or they don't think they are as important. All of the monsters are different and even look like they may be battling each other. They come from all directions of the house and some are on the ground, defeated, while others are still up and fighting. This painting has the ability to have a different meaning to anyone who views it because of they different monsters they may be facing. The closet is the only dark place in the painting and monsters are still coming out of it, 1 holding a light. The painting is a clear representation of fear and darkness.
ReplyDeleteI think your idea of saying that this represents the problems that each person is facing on a daily basis is a really good idea. I never would've thought of that but it's an interesting concept.
DeleteOne the first things that caught my eye was the broken sword in the dead guys hand. Because of this there must have been some kind of fight. Then there was the horse. This made me think that the dead solider was riding into battle and had lost his life. But then i saw the women holding a dead child and tail of smoke off in the distance. I'm thinking that some bandits raided a village killing the solider that was trying to protect his family. All the people that survived are trying to help and are morning the deaths of their loved ones.
ReplyDeleteThat it interesting that you see this as a raid.
DeleteYa there is a lot going on
DeleteI think the painting represents pain. If you look to the left of the painting you see this women crying with a dead child in her hands. The pain of losing a child is unbearable. Her face is so sad and she looks like she is crying to the heavens almost like "Why did he have to die?" The next thing that pops out is the man being eating by the monster to the far fight of the painting. Most people see war as a monster, so the monster can represent war being this evil monster that just destroyed all the people in it' path and in this case it is a man. So all over this painting you see sadness and disrepair but it looks like in the middle there is this hole that has a hand holding a light and this head is sticking out with a shocked face on it. This could be representing the heavens being so upset about all this despair occurring on the Earth. God didn't want so much sadness for his children so it makes so much sense to see this man looking so upset at the sadness. This painting represents sadness and despair.
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool how you connected the man with the candle looking shocked as the heavens, I never thought of it that way but it makes so much sense for it to be that.
DeleteThe Picture was done by Pablo Picasso after experiencing and city being bombed during the Spanish Civil war. You can tell from the painting just the sheer chaos and confusion of the moment. Clues we see that confirm this include the bottom left corner scene of what appears to be a mother holding her child and looking quite dismayed. We also can see what looks like a startled horse in the center and even what looks like peoples face flowing out of windows like ghosts which could be interpreted as the departing souls of those killed. People running away and what looks like a person on fire to the right all clearly display a scene of horror.
ReplyDeleteI like how you thought the person flying out of the window represents departing of the souls while most thought they were bringing light.
DeleteWhat I take from the piece of art is that its a representation of the monsters in the night. The things that we come up with at night while all the lights are out and we can't sleep and are forced to be left alone with our imagination of what the creaking notices are. Near the top left there is a animal like man which could be what a kid pictures of what is underneath there bed. On the right it looks like the closet door is open and that terrible things are coming out of it. There is a man with a knife in the painting which could be a visual of how kids fear of their family or them selves being murdered in the middle of the night. Fear of the night is what I get from the painting. The way I get that its night time is the hidden bed on the left of the picture and the artist does not use bright colors only dark colors that you know are the only colors you see at night from background knowledge that you got from being in that position.
ReplyDeleteMy response was very similar except I directed it more to teens and adults whose "monsters" become their thoughts. Being left at night with your problems and fears in life rather than fear of the night. Very similar though I like your insight. :)
DeleteThis painting is probably Pablo Picasso's greatest work, and is meant to show the carnage and pain of war. The first thing I see is the mangled body at the bottom of the page. He seems to be a soldier, killed in the war. The condition of his body symbolizes how violent and cruel war can be. I also notice a bystander with a candle, in awe. The bystander looks on to the war, and symbolizes civilians, witnessing the violence. Finally, I see someone in a house, being attacked by what looks like a monster. The monster symbolizes war, and how war consumes everything. So, Pablo Picasso's Guernica illustrates the needlessness and violence of war, as well as the sadness and depression that follows it.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting how you can see different perspectives in the same painting.
DeleteOne of the important details of this piece of art is the facial expressions of all of the people and animals in the art. Every single one seems to have this scared, one could say even terrified look on there faces making this piece of art much darker and more creepy one could say. Also the positioning of all of these creatures is almost as if they are screaming or in severe pain. Most have wide hands or are looking as if that are being dragged across the floor. To pull in to this creepy idea of the painting the colors are also very gloomy and dull. The whole painting is in black and white and the creatures are this white color witch causes me to think they are almost lost soles in some sort of basement or cellar. All of these details lead me to think this, the expression, body position and color of the painting. Also this creates the story of these soles being scared of someone or something, or possably trying to get out of some place. This story I create as the viewer in my head is all a cause of these little clues.
ReplyDeleteI like how you looked at the colors and positioning of the figures, as well as their facial expression.
DeleteLauren, I never thought to look at the facial expressions in the artwork! I had always looked at the major detail, and I missed a lot of the importance of this piece.
DeleteWow you really went into depth with this one. I like the part were you said that you think they are lost soles in some sort if basement or cellar. I would have never thought of the color that way.
DeleteThe painting of the bombings by the Nazis on a town called Guernica is an anti-war painting. In my Spanish class last year we talked about this painting and how it resembles bull-fighting. The bull has won the fight however, as you can see the matador on the ground. That is completely unlike the culture of bullfighting which surprised me. The bombings were also surprising which is why I think Picasso put the bull and the matador in his painting. The bull is also standing over the mother and her dead baby, as Haley has said, "it shows how war can kill harmless and innocent people". The war was terrible, and hurt many people and the mother represents that. There is also a pigeon in between the bull and the horse and we discussed that it was a representation of the peace that has been broken. The painting shows how war causes sadness and despair in different aspects of the town Guernica.
ReplyDeleteI never noticed the pigeon and I really like how you brought in the idea that peace was being broken. I never really thought about that till now.
DeleteThe Background of the painting shows a room with all of the characters dying with a head that looks like smoke is coming in through a tiny window. There seems to be a burning box in the background that shows a man in a barrel being melted or burned and in severe pain. The paining is seeming like the holocaust where all of the Jewish people were shoved into rooms then gassed to death then after words burned in an oven. Where the bull is under it shows a woman holding a child that was killed and she i weeping and looking up to see if her son has gone to a better place than what he has gone through. This painting shows the total destruction of war and what it causes in peoples lives. Like the loss of a brother or dad or uncle and today a mom. What could that possibly do to the family and what do the parents say to the kids. That dad is never coming home because he is in a better place now. What would that be like to be without one or both parents because they were off serving there country in the most honorable way possible.
ReplyDeleteThis scene of death, carnage, and destruction painted by Pablo Picasso during the Spanish civil war clearly shows the misery of the people that were affected. At first glance i see the bull standing over a grief-struck woman holding her dead baby in her arms. Then looking more towards the right of the image i see a disfigured probably struck with disease or illness. My final detail of the many is the woman sticking her ghoulish head through the window almost trying to get in or get people out. These observations lead me to believe that these people have suffered in some way ,and the prier knowledge i have of this painting helps me to know that these injured, sick, or dead "creatures" in the painting are in being tormented by the war.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting/creative way of wording it
DeleteOne major detail in this painting would be the color scheme. Picasso, the artist, was trying to tell the story of the bombings at Guernica. With all the tragedy, Picasso decided to paint in a black and white, or monochromatic, color scheme. This not only adds character to the story but also adds a dramatic touch to the sight. Looking at the painting you have to really look into the detail to find the story. The story behind this picture is the aftermath of a survivor of the bombings. The man lies awake at night seeing the mother holding her dead child, seeing the bull in both black and white (representing evil and cruelty), he can see the evil in his dreams, everything is dark, no one is happy. You can tell the emotion by looking at all the facial expressions on faces. He can see his memories of the disaster. He can see a lightbulb shining light on a horrible situation, adding hope to his life, adding some brightness in a time of dark.
ReplyDeleteAt first glance, this piece is the moderately famous painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso. It's surreal use of blues and grays paired with the horrified expressions seemingly frozen in time with the Spanish civilians as their lives are ultimately turned upside down, shook around and ruined by the German-backed Condor Legion of attack planes and bombers during the 1937 Spanish Civil War. The utter confusion portrayed on the canvas paints a window into the horrors of a bombing raid witnessed by the artist. From the grieving mother, the panicking horse, and the dying men on the "ground" of the painting.
ReplyDeleteYou have a good understanding of this painting. I think you made a good point in mentioning the civilians' horrified faces as their lives are changed, and have good insight on the anti-war portion of it.
DeleteWhen I first looked at this painting I just thought of chaos. I noticed that there were animals everywhere. It made me think that the animals were creating all of the trouble. The more I looked the more I noticed the man near the bottom holding a sword. This lead to me thinking this painting symbolizes a war. Everything is darker except in the middle where it is lighter. The lightness is shown as hope even in the darkest situations. Through out the chaos and war hope can still be found and that is what I think this painting is all about.
ReplyDeleteGuernica, painted by Pablo Picasso is a representation of the Spanish Civil War, and it's impact on tons of innocent civilians. One indication that was very apparent, and had stood out to me was the mother holding her deceased child. I can infer that her child must have been killed during some point of the war. Bulls are another reoccurring symbol in this painting and from prior knowledge I was able to recall how important they are in the Spanish culture as well as the horse. The image of the women in the window holding a candlestick to me is a representation of hope. This painting is obviously a representation of a anti war act and the women holding the candle is almost guiding everyone out to a brighter future. Pablo Picassos painting is a representation of the outcome of war and shows the damage war can cause.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first looked at this picture all I saw was the pain in the faces of the humans. And after reading others posts I found out that this picture was a resemblance of the Spanish Civil War. That Explains why there is so much pain and loss in the faces of the people. Also looking at the painting it looks like defeat, with all the sadness and the broken objects. The man holding the sword speaks the most defeat when I look at the picture, with him just lying there hopeless with a broken sword it says it all. I can also see the loss of loved ones in the picture, the women holding a kid maybe her child shows the pain of losing a loved one. I also saw a guy holding a light which could mean there is a possibility that there is going to be something good to come from the terrible war.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first looked at this painting I didn't really understand what it was about, but then I read the first couple of comments and found out it was about the Spanish Civil war. I also noticed what looks like a peace sign on the guy on the bottom right's hand, although he also looks like a follower which I think represents that he wants peace, but he doesn't think it will happen so he will follow the strongest leader hoping for peace to come faster. There are also some "x's" on almost everyone's foreheads. I think this means that they have died while the ones without the "x's" haven't. There are a lot more people with "x's" on their heads than people that don't which means that more people died from this than survived.
ReplyDeleteI looked at the comments too when I was confused at first.
DeleteThat is interesting that you see the x's as a symbol of death.
DeleteThe havoc which inspired this painting is evident through its bleak, monochromatic color scheme, a mother crying over her dead child, as well as the bull and horse running loose through the street. The color scheme emanates a hopeless feeling which was very prominent throughout the town after a bombing. The mother and child give a heartbreaking truth to the consequences of war. The animals running through the town depict a view of bullfighting in Spain at the time. Picasso's painting was intended to cover many aspects of Spain, such as its suffering through war and its culture.
ReplyDeleteIn this picture it looks like that there's chaos. on the top right there's a person screaming with his hands in the air it looks like they all suffer from pain. on the bottom right there is someone is running away from something it looks like his left leg is wounded. On the picture also seen animals and humans are both scared of something there's a dead person on the floor and ha arm with a sword in a hand seems like he tried to defend him from something. (The picture is from Pablo Picasso published 1937 The original name is Guernica)
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot going on in this picture. I notices that in the top right there is a person screaming and throwing his hands in the air. I also noticed that there is a mother who is crying over her child whom seems to be dead. Another thing I noticed was that they were carrying weapons. The story behind this is that here was a war and they've lost. There is a dead child, dead men and women, and frightened animals. I could see the horror of war and I believe this is to be an anti-war painting to show how bad war is and the tragedies and horror tat comes with it.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I see is a dragon, the dragon seems to be yelling or angry. I also noticed a hand holding a lamp, I don't know whether it is of any importance to the meaning behind the painting or not. The third detail I see is many people. In my eyes, and from what I see it looks like everyone and everything in the painting is in agony. The big picture seems to be something of a massacre. The painting seems to be depicting pain and agony, or maybe the people and creatures are in need of help.
ReplyDeleteYa for sure I agree one hundred percent
DeleteThat is a very good way of putting it well done.
DeleteIn the picture It looks like every one is screaming, even the dog is barking. I think that the end of the world is happening and there all terrified because they can't do anything about it. Raiding stores and complete anarchy is happening. People are getting trampled every one is only worried about them selves.
ReplyDelete