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Picasso’s “Massacre in Korea” comes to Korea for the first time

기사승인 2021.07.26  20:59:53

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'Picasso Into the Myth' is an exhibition held by the Hangaram Art Museum Gallery to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the artist's birth. Featuring over a hundred paintings, sculptures, etchings, and ceramics, it provides the audience with an opportunity to experience the artworks of one of the most influential figures in modern art and gain a deeper insight into the stories behind such masterpieces.
 
Not only did Picasso have a significant effect on modern art, but he also influenced the political and social world around him. Experiencing the two world wars, one of the main themes depicted in his artworks was violence and war. The highlight of the retrospective, Massacre en Coree (1951), is Picasso's painting that display the brutality of war.

 

Pablo Picasso’s Massacre en Coree, 1951 (provided by Centre for Fine Arts)


 
On the left-hand side is a group of standing women with their children. To the right, several heavily armed soldiers are aiming their weapons towards the bodies of the women. The crumpled-up, somewhat distorted facial expressions of women reveal the excruciating struggles they are going through. On the other hand, the expressions of the firing squad are not visible to the audience. The only visible part of their faces is the small eyeholes of the metal helmets, making them appear brutal and emotionless.
 
There are ongoing debates on the event that the painting is most likely to be based on: the Sinchon massacre, where it is stated that the U.S. military killed over 30,000 North Korean civilians. However, other historical records argue that the massacre was the result of the conflict between the Christian right-wing forces and communist left-wing forces within the Sinchon military, regardless of the U.S military's involvement. Since the French Communist Party commissioned Picasso, some claim that the Massacre en Coree was used for anti-American propaganda.
 
Nevertheless, Picasso's intention of painting Massacre en Coree was not to criticize a specific military but to "expose the larger nature of the brutality and irrationality of war, with the cold-blooded slaughter of civilians painted as a crime against humanity."

The exhibition will be open from April 30th to August 29th. As it holds a deep connection with the history of Korea, it is strongly recommended to go and visit the artwork and enjoy the firsthand experience.
 

 

서지안 강남포스트 학생기자 webmaster@ignnews.kr

<저작권자 © 강남포스트 무단전재 및 재배포금지>
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