Life of Picasso IV: The Minotaur Years

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The fourth and final volume of Picasso's life unfolds in Paris, Normandy, the south of France, Royan, and Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War and the onset of World War II. Drawing on extensive research, including interviews and previously unseen materials from the Picasso family archives, the narrative begins with Hungarian-French photographer Brassaï visiting Picasso's chateau in Normandy, where he captures iconic images of the plaster busts of Marie-Thérèse, Picasso's mistress and muse. During this period, Picasso contributed to André Breton's Minotaur magazine and mingled with notable figures like Man Ray, Salvador Dalí, and Paul Éluard. He delved into surrealist poetry, becoming captivated by the Minotaur myth, which inspired his famous etching, Minotauromachie. The artist remained prolific, creating works featuring both Marie-Thérèse and the surrealist photographer Dora Maar, who became a muse and collaborator. The bombing of Guernica in 1937 spurred Picasso to paint his monumental work of the same name for the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris World's Fair. Despite the Nazi occupation of Paris in 1940, he chose to stay, facing the risk of art confiscation. In 1943, he met Françoise Gilot, who revitalized his creativity and inspired a remarkable series of paintings. This volume immerses readers in a pivotal moment in twentieth-century cultural history, concluding a definitive account of one of the world's most celebrated