Guernica, gehr NEE kah or GWAIR nih kuh, is a famous painting by Spanish-born artist Pablo Picasso that ranks among the greatest social protest pictures in the history of art. Picasso created Guernica to express his outrage at the bombing of the undefended town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). German bombers, supported by Spanish Nationalist leader Francisco Franco, destroyed the Basque town on April 26, 1937, with many casualties. Guernica, also known as Guernica y Luno, had no strategic importance. The Germans attacked the town to test the effects of bombing civilian targets during war.