When the Basque regional government made a formal request last week to Spain‘s Ministry of Culture to authorize a temporary loan of Pablo Picasso‘s Guernica (1937), the region’s head of government, Lehendakari Imanol Pradales, said he expected more robust discussion on the issue after Easter Sunday. According to El País, that discussion came on Tuesday—and the culture minister, Ernest Urtasun, was unequivocal. During a government oversight session in Spain’s Senate, Urtasun told senator Igotz López, of the Basque National Party, that he would not approve the transfer request. Related Articles “I understand the sensitivity behind this request,” Urtasun said. “We are talking about a work linked to the memory of Gernika and the pain it symbolizes. My obligation is to guarantee access to culture and also to safeguard our heritage. In matters like this, we must listen to the experts who have been preserving the work for 30 years. Their reports are clear and advise against moving the piece due to the risks involved. Celebrating the 90th anniversary of Gernika should also mean ensuring that …