‘Picasso: War, Combat, and Revolution’ Review: Harvard Art Museums Cultivates a Chilling Representation of the Iconic Spanish Painter

The Harvard Art Museums’ “Picasso: War, Combat, and Revolution,” which debuted on Jan. 20 centers around the themes and concepts highlighted in one of the Spanish painter’s most famous works: “Guernica.” The installation marries the literal effects of war with abstract conceptions of desire and morality, covering nearly four decades of Picasso’s work.

The installation begins rather light-heartedly. After a brief explanation of the history of “Guernica,” visitors are greeted by sketches and line drawings by Picasso. As viewers progress deeper into the exhibit, they are confronted by the more intense pieces of Picasso’s portfolio. Where the first room embraces color — featuring sketches drawn in both black and red and portraits set against a full color background — the second room strips all color away, abruptly pivoting viewers’ psyche and mood as the pieces begin to explore darker elements of life and death against the background of war.

The exhibit confronts viewers with some of the grittiest aspects of life, immediately drawing its audience in with contrasts in color and realism. Speaking to Picasso’s well-known “Guernica,” the installation focuses on themes of death, lust, and revolution seen in the famous work, forcing its viewers to confront them head-on. The new exhibit brings the darkness of the Spanish Revolution in the 20th century and the oppressive regime of Francisco Franco to its 21st-century audience with startling clarity. Prints and drawings work together to form a cohesive representation of the human experience.

One of the most striking ways Picasso — and the exhibit — forces viewers to confront the salient theme of human mortality is through color contrast and perspective. Two of the pieces in the collection, “The Lobster” and “Goat Skull on Table,” are drawn entirely in black and white. The lobster’s stark white coloring is bone-chilling, and the goat skull retains the animal’s original eyes with their unsettling horizontal pupils. Both pieces straddle the delicate line between life and death, subverting viewers’ expectations of both phases of life.

The exhibit also touches on the beginnings of life. In “A Mother and Child and Four Studies of Her Right Hand,” Picasso centers an image of a woman holding her newborn baby and traces the shape of her hand cradling the child four times across the canvas.

The pieces that are wholly dedicated to life are no less striking. The exhibit hones in on Picasso’s work that explores the sensuality of the human experience. In “The Minotaur’s Revels,” the artist stares straight into the face of human sexuality, and the piece is filled with the naked bodies of women in unflinching detail, as well as the reclining body of a nude male figure. The scene is incredibly relaxed, and all figures fully embrace the openness of their sexuality. In the context of the exhibition, the piece serves as a refreshing contrast as it represents the pleasures of life even in the face of inevitable death.

The exhibit also displays a vivid spectrum across realism and Picasso’s famous cubic abstraction. Picasso was well known for his portraits, and in “Portrait of Josep Rocarol,” he depicts his friend’s stature in remarkably lifelike detail. Though the background of this portrait is more abstract, the exhibit truly serves as a fantastic representation of Picasso’s eccentric style. In “Lady With A Guitar” and “Still Life with Guitar, Clarinet, Bottle, and Sheet Music,” the artist completely takes apart the composition of everyday objects and reimagines them in the form of geometric shapes, leaving only the suggestion of the original object.

The exhibit also includes elements of Picasso’s playful artistry. In “The Two Turtle-Doves,” Picasso strips down the birds to something reminiscent of a child’s drawing using stick figures and simple shapes. The exhibit’s display of Picasso’s unconventional style invites viewers to engage with the material in new and exciting ways, allowing them to find the familiar in foreign territory.

“Picasso: War, Combat, and Revolution” is an exhibition in collaboration with History of Art & Architecture 194W and African & African American Studies 194Z: “World Fairs,” a course offered jointly by both departments. The class grapples with cultural displays in the context of world fairs and exhibitions and is taught by Suzanne Blier, Allen Whitehill Clowes Professor of Fine Arts and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard. “Guernica,” the exhibit’s inspiration, was commissioned for the 1937 Paris World’s Fair and came to Harvard in both 1941 and 1942. The painting was reportedly incredibly moving to Harvard students, who were struck by the emotional depth of Picasso’s abstraction. The exhibition’s collaboration aims to allow students to practice critically analyzing art while also bringing striking pieces to the broader Harvard and Cambridge community. The thoughtfully curated exhibit provides viewers with not only a better sense of Picasso’s unique style, but also a deeper understanding of the impacts of revolution and an appreciation for the beautiful brevity of human life.

“Picasso: War, Combat, and Revolution” will be on display at the Harvard Art Museums until May 5, 2024.