Author(s): Gijs Van Hensbergen

Biography/Memoir

The story of the most famous and influential work of art of the twentieth century Of all the great paintings in the world, Picasso's Guernica has had a more direct impact on our consciousness that perhaps any other. In his new book the acclaimed biographer of Gaudi brings his knowledge and insight to bear on the masterpiece. Gijs van Hensbergen tells the painting's story from its conception in the violence of the Spanish Civil War, when Nazi Germany's 'Condor Legion' bombed the Basque town of Guernica, through its time as a weapon in the propaganda battle against fascism, to its role as a symbol of reconciliation when it returned to Spain after the death of Franco. It is an epic story and one to which the author has done full justice. About the Author: Gijs van Hensbergen lectures on architecture and is the author of Art Deco (1986), A Taste of Castille (1992, reissued 2002) and the acclaimed biography Gaudi.