Guernicas History Essay -- Art Paintings Pablo Picasso Guernica Essay

Guernica's History The word art is an encompassing one, vastly interpreted and with multiple definitions. In the case of Picasso's painting Guernica, art informs, educates and expresses. Its power lies in its ability to capture and compel an audience nearly six decades after the modern world's "other" day of infamy. To understand fully the painting that evolved out of the Spanish painter's outrage, one must know its context. "Why do you think I date everything I do? Because it is not sufficient to know an artist's works--it is also necessary to know when he did them, why, under what circumstances" (Picasso). An appreciator who knows the saga of Spain's historical fishing village is given a depth of experience that only a genius like Picasso could portray --"it may well be the most terrifying document on the horrors of war ever to be produced by an artist" (Wertenbaker 126). Most people do not even know that the ancient Basque village Guernica exits, let alone that one third of its citizens were senselessly slaughtered or wounded in little more than three hours. On April 26, 1937, German bombers attacked Guernica, an open city. The unprovoked attack began at 4:30, the busiest hour of a market day. The streets were jammed with townspeople and peasants from the countryside. Never before in modern warfare had noncombatants been slaughtered in such numbers, and by such means (Wertenbaker 1967). During the Spanish Civil War Franco's army was often assisted by Germany. The Nazi General Goering's policy was to use the Spanish Civil War as an arena for trying out the airmen and planes of his new Luftwaffe . The Condor Legion was headed by Wolfram Von Richthofen, the cousin of the near mythical Red Baron of the First World War. V... ...e bombing of the ancient Basque town would now be almost forgotten. Picasso's monumental painting reminds humankind of one of the first acts of modern "total war" waged against a defenseless population. Picasso's painting is the quintessential example of humankind's senseless inhumanity to humankind. It creates a horrific image of humankind with which the observer must reckon. Through the art of Guernica Picasso educates us not only about April 26, 1937, but also about humankind and our tradition of war. WORKS CITED Chipp, Herschel, B. Picasso's Guernica. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988. Fisch, Eberhard. Guernica. New Cranbury: Associated University Press, 1983. Gordan, Thomas and Max Morgan. Guernica: The Crucible of WWII. New York: Witts, Stein, and Day, 1975. Wertenbaker, Lael. The World of Picasso. New York: Time-Life Books, 1967.

Food and Religion Essay

Food is a very important aspect in three main religions in the world, Judaism, Islam and Christianity. In a Jewish culture, food is often regarded in feasts or celebration such as the Passover. Jews usually prepare bread, wine, apples, nuts, cinnamon, eggs, lamb, vegetables, and cakes (McGilly, 2005). Islamic culture and Jewish cultures have almost the same type of cuisine and foods prepared especially during the early periods. Milk, lamb, breads, wine, apples, cheese, honey and dates are some of the common Arab foods. On the other hand, Christians are known for their bread and wine. Jerusalem, Egypt, and Middle East are in a desert region where early people lived as shepherds. They are called nomads because they move from place to place where there is plenty of food for their goats and herds of sheep. Wheat and barley were the common crops then used in making bread and cakes. Besides the nomads, there are also agricultural regions where different crops are planted. The plants by the early and present Israelites are much the same such as olives, honey, pomegranates, figs, date, grapes; and foods and beverages such as breads, cheese, yogurt, roast lamb, milk, and of course, wine. Wine is the most common beverage drank in occasions such as the Passover and wedding. Another major plant is the olive tree which is highly regarded because of its many uses such as oil for cooking, wood for fire, and medicine (â€Å"Great Feasts of the Bible,† 2002). Foods are the main ingredient in Jewish and Christian feasts such as the Passover. Passover is celebrated as the salvation of the Israelite slaves in Egypt. During the Passover, unleavened, roasted lamb, and bitter herbs are commonly prepared. Passover is celebrated in other regions as Easter (Christian festival) in America and Europe. Although celebrated in different dates and regarded as different occasions, they share a theme for both Christian holiday and Christ’s resurrection. Passover was also celebrated by Jesus Christ as his Last Supper before his death (â€Å"Great Feasts of the Bible,† 2002). REFERENCES: Great Feasts of the Bible. (2002). McGilly, J. (2005). Jewish Foods. Retrieved 16 September, 2007, from http://www. ilperetz. org/graduates/joshua_mcgilly. htm

The famous masterpiece Mona Lisa created by the late great...

The famous masterpiece Mona Lisa created by the late great Leonardo da Vinci was a true outstanding that really defined the aspect of art. This mysterious woman has numerous minds wondering what she’s thinking and the million dollar question â€Å"do her eyes actually follow you?† The context behind the story of this painting is so superior. It’s amazing that the painting was left unfinished after it was lingered for over four years, wasn’t complete. It speaks truth, in small significant details, about life, and shows the expression of unfathomable. The background information of the Mona Lisa stated. Mona Lisa was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa in the late 1503 and was unable to finish. This painting is a†¦show more content†¦He made all the color either balance or blend together. Also how the colors matches with color of the fame. He made a great choice by using mostly warm colors in his painting. He used colors such brown, nutmeg, red, and dark green, very Mother Nature type, colors take that describe her. The texture of was very soft and mellow. He wants to show that, this woman is a warm, loving and caring person. She’s also very motherly and devoted. You can see the glow in her face and nurturing of her second son birth. The light on her face showed the glow on her. Her eyes felt like you were looking into her soul and she was looking into yours. He used geometric shapes; the roundness of her head and on her fingers. You can see the symmetry on her lips and eyes but the asymmetry of the mountains. Vinci uses abundant of water base colors in this painting as well as some red. This was to let the background of the road to pop out. The soft colors also make the painting a more edgily and slightly rough. The way the he painted her was with a very light bush, it didn’t leave any marks from the brush. He balanced the dark and light colors together, so that it can bring out the beauty of the painting and the person. From every line and every stroke, he timed himself carefully, with patience and grace. He made his audience really go into a deep thought about life and the impact of careful thinking. He also made his audience see the beauty in a