Why is this painting so shocking? - Iseult Gillespie

翻译人员: Melody Chen 校对人员: Ziyao Wang

On April 26th, 1937,

1937年4月26日，

Fascist forces bombed the Basque village of Guernica in Northern Spain.

德国法西斯武装轰炸了西班牙北部的 巴斯克村庄格尔尼卡。

It was one of the worst civilian casualties of the Spanish Civil War,

这是西班牙内战期间伤亡最惨重的一刻，

waged between the democratic republic and General Franco’s fascist contingent.

这场内战由民主共和军 和弗朗哥将军的国民军发起。

For Pablo Picasso, the tragedy sparked a frenzied period of work

对巴勃罗·毕加索来说，这场惨剧 点燃了他一段疯狂的创作时期，

in which he produced a massive anti-war mural,

在此期间他创作了一幅巨大的反战争壁画，

aptly titled "Guernica."

并恰到好处地为它取名为“格尔尼卡”。

The painting is a powerful work of historical documentation

这幅画是糅合了历史记录

and political protest.

和政治性抗议的强有力作品。

But while Picasso’s artistic motivations are clear,

虽然毕加索的创作动机很明确，

the symbolism of the painting can be as confusing and chaotic as war itself.

但是这幅画作中的象征意义可能 比战争本身还要令人迷惑和混乱。

How can we make sense of this overwhelming image,

我们如何才能理解 这气势磅礴的图象，

and what exactly makes it a masterpiece of anti-war art?

而又是什么才让它成为 反战艺术品中的杰作的呢？

The painting’s monumental canvas is disorienting from the start,

这幅画里程碑式的画面 本身就是令人迷惑的，

rendered in the abstracted Cubist style Picasso pioneered.

它以由毕加索为先驱的立体派风格呈现。

Cubism deliberately emphasized the two-dimensionality of the canvas

立体派通过扁平化勾勒对象

by flattening the objects being painted.

有意突出画布的二维属性。

This afforded viewers multiple

这给予观察者对同一个对象多元的

and often impossible perspectives on the same object;

而且常常是不可能实现的视角；

a technique considered shocking even in Picasso’s domestic scenes.

这是一种即使在毕加索的家居画中 也被认为是惊世骇俗的绘画技法。

But in this context,

但在这个主题下，

the style offers a profoundly overwhelming view

这种风格提供了一种极具压倒性的

of violence, destruction, and casualties.

对于暴力，毁灭和伤亡的视觉感知。

Multiple perspectives only compound the horror on display–

多元的视角加重了画面中的恐怖元素——

sending the eyes hurtling around the frame in a futile hunt for peace.

让观者的目光在轮廓之间游走， 追寻着无法找到的和平。

On the far left, a woman holding her dead child releases a scream;

在最左边，一位怀抱她死去孩子的女子 正发出绝望的尖叫；

her eyes sliding down her face in the shape of tears

她的眼睛以眼泪的形状从她的脸上滑下

and her head bending back unnaturally to echo her baby’s.

她的头不自然地扭向后方， 与她孩子的头相呼应。

There is the statue of a soldier present below,

一名士兵的身影在画面下方被呈现出来，

but he is unable to defend the woman and child.

但他却无法保护那位母亲和孩子。

Instead his broken body lies in pieces,

他破碎的身体一块块地躺在地上，

his arm clutching a splintered sword in a signal of utmost defeat.

紧握一把破碎尖刀的手臂象征着惨败。

The tip of his sword meets a woman’s foot as she attempts to flee the devastation.

他的刀尖碰到了一个 从废墟中逃跑的女人的脚。

But her other leg appears rooted to the spot,

而她的另一条腿似乎被定住了，

locked in the corner of the canvas even as she stretches to move it.

即使她努力挣脱， 仍然被锁在了画布一角。

Another victim appears behind this slouching figure.

另一名受害者在这个 垂头丧气的人物背后出现。

Falling helplessly as flames lick around her,

在火舌肆意舔舐她时 无助地坠落，

she too is caught in her own hopeless scene.

她同样也是在自己 最无助的那一刻被捕捉。

Each of these figures bordering the painting are horribly trapped,

每一个在画面边缘的人物 都被可怕地困住了，

giving the work an acute sense of claustrophobia.

给予这幅作品一种强烈的幽闭恐惧症感。

And where you might expect the canvas’ massive size to counteract this feeling,

可能你会认为画布的 巨大篇幅会抵消这种感受，

its scale only highlights the nearly life-sized atrocities on display.

但它的大小实际上更强烈地 呈现出活生生的暴行。

Some possible relief comes from a lamp

或许那位幽灵般的女人

held tightly by a ghostly woman reaching out her window.

伸向窗户的手中紧握的台灯 能给我们些许的慰藉。

But is her lantern’s hopeful glow truly lighting the scene?

但她充满希望的灯光 真的能够点亮这个画面吗？

Or is it the jagged lightbulb–

还是说，那锯齿状的灯泡——

thought to represent the technologies of modern warfare–

被认为象征着现代战争中的科技元素——

which illuminates her view of the chaos below?

照亮了她下方混乱血腥的景象？

From the coffin-like confines of her window,

从她窗户棺材般的轮廓线看出去，

her arm guides the viewer back into the fray,

她的手臂将观者的视线 又引回那片混乱之中，

to perhaps the most controversial symbols of all–

然后引向画中最具争议性的形象——

two ghostly animals caught in the destruction.

两头在废墟中被抓住的魔鬼般的动物。

Does the screaming horse embody the threat of Franco’s military nationalism;

那只尖叫着的马是象征着 佛朗哥将军极端民族主义的威胁吗？

or does the spike running through its body convey its victimhood?

还是说，那根穿透它身体的长钉 传达着它殉难者的身份？

Does the white bull represent Spain,

那头白色的公牛是象征着 毕加索绘画中的常用主题——

the country of matadors and a common theme in Picasso’s work–

斗牛士之国西班牙——

or does it stand for the brutality of war?

还是只是代表着战争的残酷？

In this scene of strife, these animals raise more questions than answers.

在这冲突的场景中，这些动物 引发了比答案更多的问题。

And additional elements hidden throughout the frame

贯穿于整个主体中的其他元素

offer even more secrets for close observers.

为近距离的观察者提供了更多秘密。

At the top of the canvas flashes a bird desperate to escape the carnage.

画布的上方闪现了一只 迫切想要逃离这场大屠杀的鸟。

And the abundance of animals on display may hint at the bombing’s date–

画面中大量的动物 可能暗示着轰炸的那一天

a market day which flooded the streets

是一个赶集日，

with villagers, animals, and other potential causalities.

村民，牲口和其他潜在受害者 纷纷涌向大街。

Like the bombing of Guernica itself,

正如对格尔尼卡的轰炸本身，

Picasso’s painting is dense with destruction.

毕加索的画作充满了毁灭。

But hidden beneath this supposed chaos, are carefully crafted scenes and symbols,

藏在这些混乱之下的 是仔细推敲过的场景和物象，

carrying out the painting’s multifaceted attack on fascism.

才完成这幅画作对 法西斯主义的多面抗议。

Decades after its creation,

这幅画作完成几十年后的今天，

"Guernica" retains its power to shock viewers and ignite debate,

《格尔尼卡》仍旧保持着 震撼人心，激发讨论的力量，

and is often referenced at anti-war gatherings around the world.

而且常常被全世界的反战集会所援引。

Hundreds of viewers have grappled with its harsh imagery, shattering symbolism

成百上千的观赏者依然纠结于 它粗犷的想象，令人震惊的象征意义

and complex political messaging.

以及其中的错综复杂的政治讯息。

But even without a close understanding of it’s complicated subtext,

但即使对它复杂的潜台词 不曾深刻了解的情况下，

Picasso’s work remains a searing reminder of the true casualties of violence.

毕加索的画作依然是 对暴力手段下伤亡的客观警示。