The Reina Sophia Modern Art Museum

 

** The Guerenica by Picasso was partially paid by the Republican forces to paint the mural in defence and defiance of those who believed in peace. 

 The Guerenica is the centrepiece of the museum.

Guernica is a town in the Basque region of Spain that was carpet bombed by the German and Italian fascist forces in support of Franco's fascist forces on 26th April 1937. It was the first time such an event took place

This photo was not taken by me. There was a ban on photography in this room. The attendents were overly rude about the fact that there is a no photo ban, yet there are no signs indicating which room you can and which rooms you can't. 

There are on exhibit many Picasso and Dali that I had not been aware of and there are many paintings that appear to be of the style of Picasso. And a lot of these you can photograph.

Picasso's Woman in Blue, 1901

Picasso's Bust of a smiling woman, 1901

Gross, Ecce Homo, 1921

Dali, Girl at the window

Gris, Harlequin with violin, 1919

Dali, the Invisible Man, 1932

Picasso, 1928

The next three are a triptich by Dali

One of my favourite photographs, by Man Ray 

This painting is for me the very essence of romance. Two lovers so intimately intertwined, such that if they were naked the moment would have lost its potency.