Compare and Contrast Research Paper
War is an important part of history as it has shaped our borders and governments drastically throughout the years, but also in its effect on cultural aspects such as art. Even though art is a form of self-expression and, therefore, subjective, it also has patterns, trends, and eras that occur on a global scale and are sometimes initiated by war. One such example is the Spanish Civil War and how it dramatically shifted the tone and focus of art in Spain during it and decades afterward. Before the Spanish Civil War, Spanish artists painted realistic works of art such as portraits, landscapes, and inanimate objects; once the war began, paintings like these were irrelevant as they could not translate the depth of what was and had transpired during the war. The Spanish Civil War caused multiple shifts in Spanish art from realistic paintings to surrealist paintings by artists who let their unconscious mind guide them to more straightforward works of art that held political messages to paintings that focused on religious themes and to a deeper exploration of abstract expressionism within the Spanish art community. Realistic portraits and landscapes could no longer satisfy as an emotional outlet for Spanish artists during the civil war. Thus, artists began to create works of art that were propaganda, anti-art, religious, and abstract.
The realist art movement developed out of France during the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. In this time period, many Spanish artists lived in France as it was seen as the art capital of the world, so naturally, Spanish artists supported the realist movement. Realism is an art form that requires a mastery of technique, which the schools in France provided artists with. Though French art schools were only for artists that were a part of the elites of society. In general, realist artwork was not inclusive to artists of all statuses as it was based on specific techniques only taught at French art schools ("Surrealism Movement, Artists, and Major Works"). Many Spanish artists grew weary of this division during the Great Depression, leading to the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Thus, they ventured into the surrealist movement. Surrealism was a type of ". .. anti-art that specialized in representing the images of the unconscious mind." ("Spanish Painting Modern Period"). Vastly different from realism, the surrealist movement constantly gave birth to new styles and techniques, none considered "wrong."
This movement sought to purify art by embodying important aspects and ideas of life rather than a fruit bowl or a wealthy duke. The Spanish Civil War was between fascists and socialists, the nationalists and the republicans. Spanish surrealism was born out of this division as a tool for artists to use to combat the spread of fascism. Due to the civil war, Spanish artists used the surrealist idea of letting one's unconscious take over to access the depths...
