Civilization in Flight, Guernica, 1937 1937

Theo Hios made this lithograph titled Civilization in Flight, Guernica, in 1937. You can see the marks of the stone all over the surface. It’s not trying to be slick. I imagine Hios drawing directly onto the stone, his hand moving with urgency to capture such a dark moment in time. The composition has a kind of collapsing perspective, pushing the foreground and background together. The image presents a scene of chaos and upheaval, where figures appear distressed amidst the ruins of classical architecture. What was he thinking when he made this? The pyramids, broken columns, and figures are rendered in stark black and white, heightening the drama and emotional intensity. It reminds me of other prints made during this period, that captured the anxiety and despair of a civilization on the brink of war. Like other artists, Hios was responding to the world around him, using his art to make sense of the chaos and uncertainty. Making art is a way to understand what is going on. And a way to show how much we care.