Pablo Picasso's Dove: The History of the World's Main Symbol

If you ask a person to draw a symbol representing the world, we will see different options — from an olive branch to a pacific. But we want to tell about the white dove, or more precisely, the dove that is one of the most recognizable attributes of peace on the planet.

Everyone has seen the image of this bird, but not everyone knows that its author is Pablo Picasso. We tell the story of this important symbol.

Why exactly the dove?
The answer to the question may seem obvious, but we will repeat the story of how the symbol appeared. After the Great Flood, Noah tried several times to release different birds, but without success. The third attempt was successful: he released a dove, which returned to Noah with an olive branch in its beak — proof that land was nearby and it was safe to approach the shore. Thus, doves became symbols of good news and turned into an attribute of peace.

Picasso and greedy birds
Doves played an important role in Picasso's life from childhood. His father Jose Ruiz Blasco adored doves, kept a dove coop, and often depicted these birds — he taught his son to draw doves. Later, Pablo recalled that his father offered him to add feet to the drawings — the feet themselves grew tiresome to him.

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Little Pablo often played with doves and loved them not only in youth but also in maturity. Indeed, despite all his affection, Picasso considered doves greedy and quarrelsome birds. In jest, he wondered why they became a symbol of peace. However, it was precisely doves that had a tremendous influence on the artist's creativity.

The First Dove
The first version of the 'Dove' appeared in 1949: the image was used as an emblem of the World Congress of Peace Supporters. But you probably wouldn't recognize the familiar white dove. At that time, the image was realistic, with feathered feet and no olive branch in its beak. The hero of the emblem was Picasso's gift from artist Henri Matisse: in his aviary were many exotic birds, including four Milanese doves with feathered feet. Matisse gave them to Pablo, and one bird led to a stunning success.

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The Symbol That Captured the Public's Heart
The choice of the dove drawing as the congress emblem was made by poet and novelist Louis Aragon. Although even Picasso himself sarcastically reacted to the choice of Louis (the artist noted that doves are cruel birds that can kill their own kind), Aragon was right. The dove emblem caused a real sensation: the enlarged image of the bird was spotlighted in the hall where the event took place. It felt like the dove was flying over the attendees, united by one hope. Numerous prints of the poster spread across the planet — even Picasso himself didn’t expect such an emotional effect.

Another Famous Dove
The first image of the dove not only gained wide recognition but also several awards. Following it, Pablo created other doves for the next Peace Congresses. In 1950, they chose the well-known emblem of a flying dove — the popularity of the drawing grew geometrically. The emblem was placed on various items, clothing, and even matchboxes. Picasso's dove became a symbol of the struggle for peace on the planet.

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In 1952, at the Congress in Berlin, the dove was depicted on a banner, calling for peaceful resolution of any issues. The dove of peace also became the symbol of the VI World Festival of Youth and Students held in Moscow in 1957. This bird embodied agreement, peace, and the desire to find a compromise.

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Photo on the cover: artsy.net