Guernica

I love this painting by Pablo Picasso. At first glance, the painting seems to just be representative of chaos and madness. Then you look a little closer, and it you realize that is exactly what the painting is about: chaos and madness. Picasso painted Guernica in response to the atrocities being committed during World War II. A striking feature of the painting is the strict use of blacks, whites, a many shades in between. The facial expressions of the people are panicked, stressed, and heart broken. Picasso creates a feel as if a bomb had just been dropped on a building, and painfully shows the reaction of those inside. The brilliance of the painting is found in its mystery. The more you look at this painting, the more emotion you can grasp from it. I also love the irony in that a painting that seems so random can have so much deep meaning.