Guernica can be classified as a "war painting," but the painting also features many symbols--including a bull, horse, and a man with a sword--that would fit well into traditional bullfighting art, much like Picasso's own later art and sketches like Tauromaquia (1957). read more
There has been a lot written about the symbolism in Guenica. For example, the horse and bull, frequently used in his painting, are usually considered to be symbols of Spain. The stylized lightbulb that hangs over all is thought to be an eyeball, watching over the horrors of the bombing as a witness. And so on, and so on. read more