Refugees, Barcelona, Spanish Civil War c. 1936 - 1937

David Seymour shot this photograph in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. It shows an elderly woman and three younger women, presumably her daughters and granddaughters, looking out of the window of a truck. What do images like these do? They attempt to document an unfolding political situation and offer an immediate emotional appeal. But they also need to be seen as interventions in the political process itself. The refugees in this picture were fleeing the violence of the war and the repressive policies of the Franco regime. The image carries a clear message about the human cost of conflict. It asks us to consider the political consequences and the moral implications. To understand this photograph, it is helpful to consult the records of photojournalism from the time, along with the written accounts of refugees and the histories of the Spanish Civil War. That way, we can better understand the relationship between art and social history.