PICASSO'S WAR The Destruction of Guernica, and the Masterpiece That Changed the World

Russell Martin marries the artist and setting into a fascinating story of the Spanish Civil War. Moved by the German bombing of the Basque town of Guernica, Spanish painter Pablo Picasso paints a mural, described as "complex and profoundly disturbing images of horror," depicting the destruction. Oliver Wyman's words are clear and enthusiastic, but his "foreigner's accents" in English are droll, and he can't pronounce the abundant Spanish. Still, the painting's journeys, the artist's lovers, and the tyrannical dictator Franco make a challenging script for a performance that both entertains and instructs. Now housed in Madrid, Picasso's most famous canvas has become a symbol of peace. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB / MAR 03]