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Pablo Picasso's masterpiece, Guernica was painted in 1937 when he was commissioned by the Spanish Republican government to create a mural for the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris International Exposition. The inspiration for this piece came in the most unexpected and tragic way. On April 26, 1937, the town of Guernica, in Vizcaya, was bombed for about two hours during the Spanish Civil War by warplanes of the Nazi Germany Condor Legion, commanded by Colonel Wolfram von Richthofen, in support of the Nationalistic Spanish rebels led by Francisco Franco. The horrific carpet bombing attack was the first of its kind in history and reportedly an opportunity to test out new weapons and tactics.
Picasso completed the work quickly on June 4 1937, a grey, black and white painting, on a canvas 11 ft 5 in tall and 25 ft 6 in across, which portrays the suffering brought by violence and chaos. Prominently featured in the composition are a gored horse, a bull, screaming women, a dead baby, a dismembered soldier, and flames.captured the horror and desolation caused by the war.

In 1939, after being displayed in parts of Europe before WWII broke out, the painting was sent to New York on a tour for the benefit of the Spanish Refugee Committee. When World War II broke out later that year, Picasso requested that Guernica, as well as a number of other of his works, be held at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on extended loan. Most of his works were returned to Europe after the war, however Picasso  asked that Guernica stay at the MoMA until the “reestablishment of public liberties” in Spain. The death of Picasso in 1973 and objections by Picasso's heirs who questioned Spain’s democratic credentials delayed Guernica's return to Spain until September 10, 1981 after being in the custody of New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for more than four decades.

Once landed in Madrid, the work was initially installed in the Casón del Buen Retiro, which was specially adapted to exhibit it under special security conditions, with armored glass protection. This location had a special significance since it was part of the Prado Museum of which Picasso was director. Later, in July 1992, the work made a final trip to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (1869 – 1954) was a French visual artist, painter, draftsman, printmaker, and sculptor, Matisse is widely regarded as the greatest colorist of the 20th century. known for both his use of color and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. More

"When you think about the word “art,” what comes to mind? A child’s artwork pinned to the fridge? A favorite artist whose work always inspires? Abstract art that is hard to understand? "...."Although everyone has their own concept of what defines art, one thing is universally true: Creativity is a defining feature of the human species".... More at The Conversation ➜

Berthe Morisot - Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot (1841 – 1895) was a French painter and a member of the circle of painters in Paris who became known as the Impressionists. Morisot was married to Eugène Manet, the brother of her friend and colleague Édouard Manet. She was described by art critic Gustave Geffroy in 1894 as one of "les trois grandes dames" (The three great ladies) of Impressionism alongside Marie Bracquemond and Mary Cassatt.

It's a fine line,
between being considered
normal, or borderline,
insane.

Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer (1865 – 1953) was a French artist and a leading exponent of Symbolism and Art Nouveau from the late 1800's . His works include paintings, drawings, ceramics, furniture and interior design.

John Constable (1776 – 1837). English landscape painter, born in Suffolk. His work is classified as being in the Romantic tradition. He is known principally for revolutionizing the genre of landscape painting with his paintings of Dedham Vale where his home was located. The area is now known "Constable Country" Some of his most well known paintings include Wivenhoe Park (1816), Dedham Vale (1821) and The Hay Wain (1821). His paintings are now among the most popular and valuable in British art. 

Claude Lorrain (c. 1600 –1682) was a French artist of the Baroque era. His actual name was Claude Gellee, but he is better known by the province in which he was born. He spent most of his life in Italy, and is regarded as one of the great masters of ideal landscape and known for his golden-hued pastoral landscapes which usually include the addition of a few small figures, typically representing a scene from the Bible or classical mythology. More

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (1884 – 1920)  Italian painter and sculptor known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by a surreal elongation of faces, necks, and figures that were not received well during his lifetime, but later became much sought-after. Modigliani spent his youth in Italy, and moved to Paris in 1906, where he came into contact with such artists as Pablo Picasso and Constantin Brâncuși. More

Henri Lebasque (1865 – 1937) was a French post-impressionist painter. His work is represented in French museums, notably Angers, Geneva (Petit Palais), Lille (Musée des Beaux-Arts), Nantes, and Paris (Musée d’Orsay). He started his education at the École régionale des beaux-arts d'Angers, and moved to Paris in 1886. There, Lebasque started studying under Léon Bonnat, and assisted Ferdinand Humbert with the decorative murals at the Panthéon. Around this time, Lebasque met Camille Pissarro and Auguste Renoir, who later would have a large impact on his work. More

Artist, Stan Kurth, is the 2023 juror for the show.
Venue: Matzke Fine Art Gallery and Sculpture Park , 2345 Blanche Way, Camano Island, WA 98282. 360-387-2759.
Awards Reception: Oct. 28, 2023, 2:30-5:00, Potluck party starts at 5:00.       

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