HISTORY, ART AND HUMOR IN QUINO'S POLITICAL CARTOONS

Abstract

This article aims to emphasize the use of political cartoon genre in Spanish lessons as a way of teaching history, art, politics and culture. Therefore, we chose one by the Argentinian cartoonist Quino published on the textbook Sintesís (2010) for analysis. We found that due to the cartoon being published without its facts or even its year of circulation, it causes limits to the teaching practice. Teachers end up searching for more information to work with. Given the teachers' difficulties to supply an Argentinian historical, cultural and political context to the object of analysis, we propose instead teachers use of historical, cultural and political aspects of Spain, as well as the bombing of Guernica. This is conceivable because Quino plays with this possibility when using  Pablo Picasso's Guernica, a canvas painted in memory of the fascist attack of the Spanish city. Hence, we discuss the specificity of political cartoons, what genre represents and its characteristics so that we approach external elements such as the life and works of Picasso, the Spanish Civil War, the bombing of Guernica and the canvas produced by the Spanish painter. From these aspects we begin the reading of the political cartoon, making connection with the Spanish history, culture and politics.