Facts About Famous Artworks #5

Abstract art might not resonate with everyone, yet some works stand out, embodying the spirit of their times with such intensity that they cannot be overlooked.

A prime example is Picasso’s 'Guernica'. This painting vividly portrays the terrible consequences of the bombing of Guernica by German and Italian forces, becoming an iconic representation of the atrocities and suffering of WWII.

During his residence in Nazi-occupied Paris, Picasso kept a photograph of 'Guernica' in his apartment. Legend has it that a Nazi officer, upon seeing the photograph, questioned Picasso, asking, "Is this your creation?" To which Picasso reportedly replied, "No, this is your doing."

Facts About Famous Artworks #4

Today, there are 28 instances of Auguste Rodin's iconic sculpture located around the world. Originally, this sculpture was not conceived as a standalone work. The inception of the famous statue occurred as the focal point of an ambitious project from 1880 named 'The Gates of Hell'. Inspired by Dante's Inferno, the central figure of this original piece is intended to represent Dante Alighieri himself. The widely recognized version of The Thinker emerged significantly later, in 1904, as a greatly enlarged adaptation of the initial statue.