Picasso's War (The Destruction of Guernica and the Earth-Shattering Masterpiece)

Author: [USA] Martin, translated by Lin Li et al
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: On April 26, 1937, Guernica, a bustling market town in the Basque region of northern Spain, was subjected to brutal bombing by the Nazi German Air Force at the request of Spanish Air Force General Franco and his rebel forces. Three and a half hours later, the town and villages were reduced to rubble, with countless civilian casualties. This marked the first large-scale attack on non-military targets in modern warfare. The terrorist atrocity and unspeakable cruelty infuriated the world and also enraged Picasso. The Spanish immigrant Picasso, who had settled in France, immediately responded to the bombing of his homeland by creating one of the greatest art works of the 20th century—his oil painting Guernica. Russell Martin explores the inspiration behind Picasso's creative passion, documenting the birth of this masterpiece and its decades-long journey across the Americas and Europe, ultimately returning to Spain, which had become a democratic nation. Martin covers various themes in the book: conflict and compensation, the horrors of war, and the power of art to transform tragic human experiences.