Not only is the size of the mural overwhelming, but the shocking images that mix classic symbols with modern technique provide an emotion and passion that is unforgettable. While passion and empathy undeniably drove Picasso to choose his subject, Guernica, it is not the fruit of spontaneous emotion, but of a contemplation for the unpredictable fate of all humans at the mercy of evil, which is expressed through his dedication to the past. "The deliberation with which Picasso worked out the symbolism of Guernica and the form exactly appropriate to its expression represents one aspect of his debt to the long tradition of classical art" (Blunt 44). Picasso, while ahead of his contemporaries in innovative style and technique, does not portray contemporary imagery. Specifically, he does not represent the scene realistically as he eliminates any distinct features of the event such as symbols of Fascism itself. Only the title of the work gives any indication of the subject which is being expressed, making this piece applicable to many events throughout modern history. It is Picasso's use of classic, ancient and religious symbols that creates this tone. "It appears that Picasso, lamenting for the Guernica victims, calls upon past great lamentations" (Becraft 21). The design of Guernica is formulated upon the banal symbols of each figure. In comparing Picasso to predecessors of political propaganda it is clearly defined that "in these paintings the artists were not concerned to show the beauties of nature or the nobility of man, but on the contrary the evil of the world and the brutality of human beings. They therefore felt at liberty to underline the ugliness of the created universe, to distort the human figure, and to invent monsters to convey their meaning. But Picasso, who had broken down these conventions, was able to go further, to use more violent distortions, to disrupt the bodies of human beings and animals in a much more drastic manner.
