In June 1937 Pablo Picasso painted Guernica, a mural that memorialized the events of April 27, 1937, the date when Germany supported its fascist ally Francisco Franco and bombed Guernica, a rather remote town in the Basque region of northern Spain. For the Nazis, the military strike was an excuse to try out their latest military hardware, establish a blueprint for terror bombings of civilian populations, and pull Spain into the fascist fold. After the bombing, the republican government on the other side of the Spanish Civil War commissioned Picasso to create the mural for display at the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris.
You can learn more about the famous anti-war painting, now housed at the Museo Reina SofÃa in Madrid, by checking out the Smarthistory primer posted below. In the meantime, we’re highlighting today a digitally-rendered 3D tour of Picasso’s landmark work. It’s the creation of Lena Gieseke, a visual effects artist who, once upon a time, was married to the filmmaker Tim Burton. Some will consider the idea of putting Guernica in 3D downright blasphemous. Others will find it instructive, a chance to see parts of the mural from a new perspective. The video above runs three minutes.
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Well, I respectfully disagree.
It’s not blasphemous, it’s rather stupid, and totally useless; may I explain ?
One of the shifts Picasso brought to painting was to flatten the picture, rising against the illusion of perspective. It’s one of the main things in cubism : image is not a fake 3D space, it’s a strong 2D surface.
Inflating forms like air balloons can only break the thin ice of the painting. Heck ! Would he have wanted to do some retinal truth, Picasso would have done it, wouldn’t he ?
I think it’s some kind of vain exercise bored people can do just because they have the tools to. Play with some early-Renaissance painting, where the invention of space makes sense !
Here, it brings only strass and blinking lights : better forget it !
I thought it was awesome
I mean, I do think it is awesome
I have always admired this painting & the way it captures the almost unimaginable events on that day in the town of Guernica- it is so sad yet powerful.
I think this 3D version has been done sensitively and takes the viewer through the original in a new way.