.jpg?w=1)
拍品專文
This work is registered in the archives of the Museo Chillida-Leku, under number 1984.008.
In April of 1937 the first major aerial saturation bombing in history devastated the defenseless Basque city of Gernika. The attack lasted nearly three hours; the amount of bombing and strafing would have been enough to level a city far larger than the small Basque province. Although the city was left in rubble, the Basques remained stalwart and determined, just as they did through the numerous invasions of the Romans, Vandals, Visigoths and Franks. Amazingly, their most sacred relic, the oak of Basque civil liberty, representing strength, endurance, immovability, dignity, loyalty and heritage, was left unscathed. They had again proved their might, and only grew stronger and more intent on protecting their traditions.
This atrocious attack was first artistically documented in Picasso's celebrated Guernica of 1937. Picasso's painting focused on the horror and destruction suffered by the Basques, showing burning buildings and civilians on the verge of death. Nearly fifty years after the bombing, Chillida was commissioned by the Basque government to venerate the historic event by producing a sculpture that would stand in the city itself. Chillida chose a different approach to the subject than Picasso had. Instead of focusing on the horror and plight, Chillida wanted to illustrate the vigor of the Basque nation and the perseverance of the culture.
Gure Aitaren Etxea, translated into English as Our Father's House, is a model for the monumental work that Chillida produced to pay tribute to his people. While the work is on one hand in memoriam to the sacrifices made, it is, on the other, a testament to the future of the culture. The integrity and endurance of the Basque nation is paralleled in the strength of the medium, while the gentle curves and elegant design of the structure evoke the dignity of the Basque people.
In April of 1988, the full sized monument was installed at Gernika, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the bombing. This concrete structure, standing more than thirty feet tall, is a lasting symbol of this historic event.
In April of 1937 the first major aerial saturation bombing in history devastated the defenseless Basque city of Gernika. The attack lasted nearly three hours; the amount of bombing and strafing would have been enough to level a city far larger than the small Basque province. Although the city was left in rubble, the Basques remained stalwart and determined, just as they did through the numerous invasions of the Romans, Vandals, Visigoths and Franks. Amazingly, their most sacred relic, the oak of Basque civil liberty, representing strength, endurance, immovability, dignity, loyalty and heritage, was left unscathed. They had again proved their might, and only grew stronger and more intent on protecting their traditions.
This atrocious attack was first artistically documented in Picasso's celebrated Guernica of 1937. Picasso's painting focused on the horror and destruction suffered by the Basques, showing burning buildings and civilians on the verge of death. Nearly fifty years after the bombing, Chillida was commissioned by the Basque government to venerate the historic event by producing a sculpture that would stand in the city itself. Chillida chose a different approach to the subject than Picasso had. Instead of focusing on the horror and plight, Chillida wanted to illustrate the vigor of the Basque nation and the perseverance of the culture.
Gure Aitaren Etxea, translated into English as Our Father's House, is a model for the monumental work that Chillida produced to pay tribute to his people. While the work is on one hand in memoriam to the sacrifices made, it is, on the other, a testament to the future of the culture. The integrity and endurance of the Basque nation is paralleled in the strength of the medium, while the gentle curves and elegant design of the structure evoke the dignity of the Basque people.
In April of 1988, the full sized monument was installed at Gernika, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the bombing. This concrete structure, standing more than thirty feet tall, is a lasting symbol of this historic event.