Which Masterpiece Can Be Photographed by the Public for the First Time in Decades?

Pablo Picasso’s iconic 25.6-foot-long (7.76-m-long) oil painting Guernica has been on display at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid since 1992. However, for the past 30 years, there has been a strict ban on taking photographs of the renowned artwork. The tide finally turned with the appointment of a new museum director, Manuel Segade, and the ban was lifted in September 2023. But why was photography prohibited in the first place?

In 1981, three years after Spain became a democratic constitutional monarchy, Picasso's painting made a significant journey from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City back to Spain, Picasso’s native country, ultimately finding a permanent home at the Museo Reina Sofía in 1992. The large-scale black, white, and gray artwork depicts the suffering of innocents during the Spanish Civil War and is named after Guernica, the Basque town bombed by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy at the behest of Gen. Francisco Franco’s Nationalists on April 26, 1937.

Ever since its creation, just weeks after the town’s horrific bombing, Guernica has drawn millions of visitors wherever it has been displayed. However, public photography of Guernica has been off-limits since 1992, in a measure aimed at preserving the artwork. Taking photographs with or without the use of flash was forbidden, as were tripods and selfie sticks. The rationale behind this policy lay in the potential damage caused by repeated camera flashes, which could lead to the fading and degradation of colors.

Further justifying the use of caution in protecting Picasso’s masterpiece, there are instances when works of art have been damaged by visitors taking photographs even without the flash. For example, at the Museo Reina Sofía in June 2022, a museum visitor accidentally damaged Alberto Sánchez’s ballet set for La romeria de los cornudos by falling on the work when trying to take a selfie.

The recent decision to lift the ban is partly a practical one, with museum officials stating that they hope the rule change will alleviate congestion in the room where Guernica is displayed, as capturing a photograph is quicker than viewing the painting for a prolonged period. Segade also believes that removing the photography ban will help align the institution’s policies with modern sensibilities, stating that he would like the museum “to reach 100 percent photographic accessibility, especially for a young audience that lies filtered by a screen.” While some fear this decision could diminish the powerful impact of viewing Picasso’s anti-war symbol, specific rules still apply, and the use of camera flashes, tripods, and selfie-sticks remains forbidden.

Guernica and its creator: