“Surrealist artists, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso were clearly influenced by their experiences of the Spanish Civil War” To what extent is this statement accurate? The rise of a revolution in 1930 Spain provoked artistic nightmarish visions in many European artists. Individual Surrealist artists responded differently, some abandoned peaceful propaganda for weapons and violence, while others, like Joan Miró, involved their artistic innovation directly in the service of the war efforts. However, artistic expressionism was the main forum by which Surrealist artists such as Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso expressed their opinions and depictions regarding the Spanish Civil War. The artists explored diverse views of fascism, death, despair, desire and hope through intricately detailed paintings heavily influenced by the war.

1930s Spain was deeply politically divided between the Nationalist and the Republicans. Generals Franco and Sanjujo led the Nationalists, right wing, with the support of the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia. Whereas the Republican parties, left wing, led by Azana were supported by the cities of Cadiz, Saragossa, Seville and Burgos. Nationalists embodied monarchists, landowners, employers, the Roman Catholic Church and the army, whereas Republicans consisted of the workers, trade union, socialists and the peasantry. The Great Depression took a heavy economic toll on Spain causing the collapse of the military dictatorship in 1929 that had ruled the country since 1923. As a result, the King abdicated in 1931 after the Republicans came to power. The country’s divisions grew and became so threateningly unstable that the army rebelled against the Republicans in 1936, forcibly removing them from power, evolving into the Spanish Civil War, lasting for three years, until 1939. Deep ideological confrontations of the war resulted in harsh loyalty of all participants towards their supporting parties and the loss of many Spanish lives inspired various Surrealist artists of the time. The Surrealist Movement was officially founded in 1924 after World War I when André Breton published his “Manifesto of Surrealism” as a reaction to Dadaism, with Dadaism “itself [being] a reaction to ‘logic’ that Dadaists believed had caused the war”. Surrealism, however, was dedicated to the expression of the imagination, relying on the flexibility of dream-like images, free of conscious control of reasoning and rule. Surrealism was the first movement in the twentieth century to envision political, philosophical and aesthetics through the idea of a coherent combination of the Freudian theory with Marxist theory, depicting that pictures might, as Theodor Adorno suggests “embody [society’s] contradictions, pure and uncompromised, in [their] innermost structure” as a “fore of protest.” The artistic techniques and freedom of Surrealism allowed artists within the movement to consider the irrationality of human suffering and the act of coping of such human tragedy brought upon by the war. The artists portrayed their vision of political ideologies and illusions, social idealism and military take on modern warfare. As Surrealism’s primary concern was artistic and literary expressionism as a mode through which revolutionary social change could be affected there was little involvement or interest in the intricacies of Spanish politics by the Surrealist Movement until the outbreak of the war in July 1936. The artists responded by publishing several frantic tracts calling upon the French to support the Republicans against General Franco. Due to geographical placement of Spain, neither Germany nor Italy wanted Spain to become a ‘Soviet-backed stronghold’. The opposing force, the Republicans, feared that if Spain came under the Nationalist’s control then the country would become an important ally for the two countries in future conflict. Furthermore, with the rise of fascism, if Spain adopted the ‘Fascist creed’, it would strengthen the message that the ‘Fascists were a power to be reckoned with’. With the threat of the ever expanse of Communist countries, Hitler and Mussolini - Italy's Fascist leader sent thousands of their troops, estimated to 50 000 volunteers from Mussolini’s Italy, and the Condor Legion from the Luftwaffe, Germany’s air force, to Spain in order to aide the Nationalists in their battle. Whereas the Republican’s received assistance from Russia as Stalin sent advisers and technicians and an International Brigade of volunteers from various countries. However, due to Mussolini’s military assistance, the Nationalists held an advantage over the Republicans, who relied on genuine volunteers that had minimal to no military training. As a result, the Nationalists held a greater sense of power, enduring until the conclusion of 1936 with 50% of Spain under military control. Their power continued as they ceased Bilbao in 1937 and Catalan in 1938. By 1939 the Republican resistance all but collapsed, as Russia withdrew their support. Barcelona fell in January 1939 and Valencia and Madrid surrendered in March 1939. The Republicans surrendered on April 1st 1939, concluding with a death toll estimated at 500 000 lives, however official figures showed the casualty rate to be as high as 1 000 000. With the rise of the Nationalists Hitler’s position in Europe strengthened as General Franco, dictator of Spain became a potential ally. Furthermore, the participation and co-operation of both Italy and Germany in the Spanish Civil War strengthened their bond and resulted in the formation of the Rome-Berlin Axis. Joan Miró was influenced to express his resulting emotions from these events inspiring him to create detailed paintings of the war, such as the mural The Reaper (fig. 1).

Surrealist artist Joan Miró originally ignored the increasingly polarized political and social factioning in Spain. However in 1937, Miró, 1893 Spanish born artist, was heavily influenced by the political issues involved in the Spanish Civil War and accepted the commission for the mural. In the early summer he erected scaffolding against the only space in the Pavilion large enough to accommodate his planned painting The Reaper. Historian Robin Greeley reports that the Pavilion was “a version of Spain ideologically in tune with Republican views on the Spanish Civil War: a united people battling against the invading fascist forces to defend freedom, social justice, and material prosperity.” The mural in collaboration with the Pavilion introduced Spain to a largely foreign audience through a deliberate evocation of Catalan nationalism (Catalanisme) meant to coincide with the political aims of Republican Spain and its popular front government. The symbolism of the mural, the inclusion of the Spanish Pavilion, and the fact that Miró claimed that “when [he] painted it during the Civil War, [he] wanted to represent the revolt of the Catalan peasants” depicts that he intended The Reaper as a heroic call to defend his homeland (Catalonia) and Spain as a whole against the fascist forces. The Spanish Civil War significantly influenced Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí to create gruesomely detailed artwork depicting the unique horrors of the war. Dalí, the famously multitalented artist born in 1904, known for his unique involvement in the Surrealist Movement, and unlike many surrealists, refused to conform to either status of becoming a “Stalinist or Hitlerite”; he remained, as he describes a “Dalinain”. He claimed to believe in neither the Nationalists-socialist revolution, nor any kind of revolution, believing only in the “supreme reality of tradition.” However, Dalí did turn his attention to the social and political tragedy that consumed his homeland. Painted only a few months prior to the outbreak of the Civil War Soft Construction with Boiled Beans: Premonition of Civil War (fig. 2) Dalí presents his awareness of the mounting tensions in Spain between left and right. The painting displays a monstrous, decaying figure looming over the Spanish landscape. The figure is soiled in, as Greeley articulates, scabrous mutilation and smooth limp fleshiness that characterised his concept of revolution. Dalí believed that his grotesquely savage image of Spain clawing itself to pieces prophetically foreshadowed the correlative killings and inhumane brutality committed by both of the opposing sides as he later stated, "The Spanish corpse was soon to let the world know what its guts smelled like." The contrasting ideologies in Spain effected Dalí’s position within the Surrealist Movement. Due to his refusal of conformity to take a political stand against fascism, the commercialisation of his talent and his obscene obsession with Hitler caused by his involvement in the Spanish Civil War recognised in several of his works, namely The Enigma of Hitler (fig. 3), Dalí was expelled from the movement. Ultimately, the influence of the Civil War saw the end of Dalí’s involvement within the Surrealist Movement. In April 1937, Guernica was deliberately targeted for aerial bombing by the German Air force. Guernica was the ancient capital of the Basques, a group who had withstood the advances of the army since the beginning of the war. The city came under attack as punishment for their resilience against Franco’s advances. Franco’s Nationalists were weak in terms of the air force, however, with the development of Luftwaffe, Nazi Germany was eager to help Franco and inturn test its developing Luftwaffe. Guernica was chosen due to its great importance to the Basques, and the bombing would send a clear message of military power of the Nationalists to the Republicans. For over three hours Germany’s bombers, accompanied by approximately twenty more Messerschmitt and Fiat Fighters dropped 100 000 pounds of high-explosive and flammable bombs on the village, slowly and systematically destroying the town. Greatly affected and influenced by the bombing Pablo Picasso, a famous Italian artist, painted one of his most distinguished artworks - Guernica (fig. 4). Although Picasso was not of Spanish heritage, his painting, Guernica’s brutal portrayal of the war presents how not only Spanish born Surrealist artists were significantly influenced by the war, but also many international artists who were involved in the Surrealist Movement. The painting was a result of his own infuriation towards the bombing of Guernica in Spain by German and Italian fighter planes, and has come to stand for its statement of the specific horrors of the war and for the catastrophe of warfare. Through the haunting imagery of destruction and turmoil Picasso allowed the painting to go on a brief world tour to ensure that people across the globe would be aware of the horrendous act being carried out in Spain. Picasso expressed his disgust of the brutal force during the conflict of the intimidation attack on Guernica by the Nationalists. He makes reference to his disbelief in God, as a man attempts to pray to the light bulb sun, appealing to God for help. However, Picasso exhibits his belief that God is only a manmade item, like a light bulb, and that there is no promise of savior from the horrors of the Civil War. This lack of hope amongst the painting demonstrates Picasso’s uncertainty of whether Spain will be able to recover after the war’s conclusion. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War influenced grotesque responses from Surrealist artists. Fighting against fascism, the Surrealists responded violently in actions and mainly through artistic propaganda. Artists, with deep personal connection utilized their artwork to notify the world of the gruesome and inhumane destruction of Spain. Although Picasso was not of Spanish heritage, his depiction of the war in Guernica presents the great extent in which the Civil War influenced both Spanish born and international Surrealist artists. Despite not being physically involved in the war Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso were clearly influenced by its outbreak, their artwork depicting their own frustration and reflecting on their experiences.

Reference List BBC - Higher Bitesize History - The Spanish Civil War : Revision. 2013. Access: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/history/roadwar/spancivil/revision/1/. Dalí, S (1942). The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí. New York: Sial Press. The Gale Group (2003). Surrealism. United States of America: Gale and Design, Inc and Thomas Learning, Inc. Greeley, R (2006). Surrealism and the Spanish Civil War. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. The Spanish Civil War. 2013. Available: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/spanish_civil_war1.htm.

Images Dalí, Salvador. Soft Construction with Boiled Beans: Premonition of Civil War. 1936. Available: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=277x180 Dalí, Salvador. The Enigma of Hitler. 1938. Available: http://yuguangzhang.com/blog/the-enigma-of-hitler-salvador-dali/ Miró, Joan: The Reaper (El Segador), 1937. Image 1 Available: http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2012/miro/imagesl/reaper.jpg Miró, Joan: The Reaper (El Segador), 1937. Image 2 Available: http://discardstudies.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/imagegen.jpg Picasso, Pablo. Guernica. 1937. Available: http://www.pablopicasso.org/images/paintings/guernica.jpg