1. History of the Artwork Picasso was commissioned by The Spanish Republic, Government of Spain, to paint Guernica following the bombing by German and Italian forces of the Basque town of that name during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, to be displayed at the 1937 Worlds Fair in Paris.

2. Historical Context Guernica is a town in the province of Biscay in Basque Country. During the Spanish Civil War, it was regarded as the northern bastion of the Republican resistance movement and the epicenter of Basque culture, adding to its significance as a target. The Republican forces were made up of many assorted factions with many different approaches and goals, but they were all commonly opposed to the Nationalists. 3. The Bombing of Guernica At 16:30 on Monday the 26th of April 1937, warplanes of the German Condor Legion, commanded by Colonel Wolfram von Richthofen, bombed Guernica for two hours. Germany at this time was led by Hitler, who was lending support to the Nationalists to test out his new weapons and tactics. 4. Picassos Response After the bombing, Picasso became aware of what had occurred in his native country. At this time he had already been commissioned by the Spanish Republic Government. He then changed his original idea on May 1st 1937 and began working on Guernica. 5. Guernica by Pablo Picasso (1937) Oil on canvas. 6. 3D Look at Guernica 7. Video: The Power of Art (Guernica 29 mins in)