01 Painting, The art of War, Horacio Ferrer's Madrid 1937 (Aviones negros), with footnotes

Horacio Ferrer, Cordoba, Spain, 1894 - Madrid, Spain, 1978

Madrid 1937 (Aviones negros) (Madrid 1937 Black Airplanes), c. 1937

Oil on canvas

148 x 129 cm

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Ferrer had studied in Italy on a grant from the Junta de Ampliación de Estudios (Board of Advanced Studies). He spent one year there, between 1934 and 1935, studying, among other things, the fresco technique. It is also worth noting Ferrer’s early preferences and artistic knowledge; his library contained copies of French and German magazines involved in disseminating the fashionable trend in Europe from the 1920s onwards, the “return to order”. All of this was conducive to creations such as Madrid 1937 (Aviones negros), in which the obvious propagandistic intent of emphasizing the distressing situation in wartime Spain is not diminished by the excellence of the pictorial outcome. The dramatic scene, which calls to mind the effects of the fresco technique, also emulates the content of Picasso’s own Guernica. Indeed, although presented from a different stylistic perspective, here too the women flee in terror, their children in their arms, crying out against the bombings that have ruined their lives and displaying their utter scorn for the barbarity of war. More on this painting

A group of fleeing women and children of different ages are set within an almost square frame, closed cropped for maximum drama and power set against a grey backdrop of destruction and rubble. We feel a part of the commotion, emotions, panic and horror.

A woman (bottom left) holds up a protecting hand with a look of shock. She grasps the hands of a small boy, crying, terrified and throwing up his hand, reacting to an out of frame commotion. Behind is a woman clutching a baby in swaddling cloths, her look of horror suggesting the baby may already be dead.

The central main figure hold a young child, she looks to the sky shaking her fist at the bombing aeroplanes raining death and destruction or shaking a fist of anger towards God itself. A breast is bared, another defiant gesture, a universal symbol of vulnerability, the nurturing, life-giving qualities upholding the primal principles of humanity. Behind stands an older woman in shadow, almost a ghost, hands clasped as if praying, resigned to her own fate, pleading for the preservation of the younger mothers and children. Paul Woods  More on this painting

Horacio Ferrer (Cordoba, 1894 - Madrid, 1978) had studied in Italy on a grant from the Junta de Ampliación de Estudios (Board of Advanced Studies). He spent one year there, between 1934 and 1935, studying, among other things, the fresco technique. His painting’s dramatic scenes, which calls to mind the effects of the fresco technique, also emulates the content of Picasso. More on Horacio Ferrer

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.