RunningWithBulls.com - The curse of Sanfermin

Guernica, the famous painting of Pablo Picasso, the painting that came to symbolise democracy may be resituated to the Basque Country. This may go some way to extending a hand between Madrid (it currently is housed in the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid) and the Basque Region.

The painting was inspired by the bombing in 1937 of the unarmed civilian population of the Basque town that gave it its name, by the German Condor Legion squadron that supported General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The carpet bombing of the traditional Basque capital during a busy market day caused an estimated 1,650 deaths and destroyed the town.

The reason I think this is the group proposing the move is a combination of the conservative Popular Party (Aznar, Rajoy) *and* Basque nationalists parties. This could be a fantastic symbolic gesture.

As the Times Online mentions “Carmen Calvo, the Culture Minister of Spain, claimed, however, that “many technical reports” outlined difficulties in moving the work from the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid.”

My take is, more the former Andalusian councillor is worried Madrid may loose one of the most famous pieces of Spanish art, rather than some political motive. At least I hope so.

José Ramón Urrutia, a senator for the left-wing Basque party, Eusko Alkartasuna, asked: “If we send valuable paintings to other countries for temporary exhibitions, why can’t we send Guernica to Bilbao?” Javier Maqueda, a senator of the Basque Nationalist Party, has asked Ricardo Zugaza, the director of the Prado Museum in Madrid, to support the exhibition.

This is of course true. Señora Calvo’s reasoning is weak.

Just as true that the return of Guernica was important for Spain, only 6 years after the death of Franco the Spanish dictator in 1977 did the painting return home, it is now important for the Basque Country. It may prove a hand of friendship between Madrid and Vizcaya.