I just read Picasso’s War, the story of his creation of the painting by the same name, the history of Spain that inspired the painting, and the subsequent activity around the painting from 1937 to 2002 when the book was published.
Picasso is one of my favorite artists. Guernica is one of his signature paintings. I remember the discussion in my first modern art course about it (modern art – at least in that course at MIT – was defined as post-impressionist art forward, Picasso was the anchor of all modern art, and Guernica was one of the most – if not the most – important piece of his work.)
I was vaguely familiar with the actual story of Guernica (the destruction of the Spanish town as well as the creation of the masterpiece.) The Musee National Picasso Paris has a great exhibit on Guernica, which inspired me to buy this book in their gift shop. Now that I’ve read the book, it’s time to go back and really study the exhibit.
If you like art history, Picasso, Spanish history, World War II history, or just want to read an emotionally (and functionally) complicated story about a very important piece of art, check out Picasso’s War.