September 10, 1981

On September 10, 1981, Pablo Picasso’s Guernica arrived in the city of Guernica, Spain. The painting had been completed in 1937 in response to the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Picasso refused to allow the painting to be held in Spain until the country became a republic. 

Guernica has become a universal and powerful symbol warning humanity against the suffering and devastation of war. Moreover, the fact that there are no obvious references to the specific attack has contributed to making its message universal and timeless.