Picasso - Social + Cultural Influences Flashcards
1) Cezanne
> Picasso was influenced by Cezanne’s idea of deliberately distorting perspective to achieve balance + harmony.
> Picasso however distorted perspective in Guernica to achieve chaos + confusion
2) Dora Maar
> The impact of Picasso’s relationship with Dora Maar was a huge influence on the style of Guernica.
> During this time his style changed + became angular with hard lines + fractured geometry.
> This mirrored his stormy relationship with Maar which was tense due to her fractious + difficult personality.
3) Goya’s - ‘Third of May’
> Goya’s painting ‘Third of May’ was an influencial factor on Picasso’s composition of Guernica.
> It is an anti-war painting due to men facing a firing squad and is illuminated by a single light source similar to Guernica.
> It also has a strong triangular composition created by the central character holding up his arms this comp can also be seen in Guernica created by the lightbulb.
4) Primitive Art
> Picasso was also influenced by primitive art, especially African masks which have inspired the the stylised mask-like faces in Guernica.
> The simple, terrified look on the faces communicates Picasso’s raw emotion in the response to the horror of the event.
