The Dream and Lie of Franco I

Pablo Picasso Spanish
 Printer Roger Lacourière French
 Publisher Pablo Picasso Spanish

Not on view

The Dream and Lie of Franco I and its companion, The Dream and Lie of Franco II, form a damning condemnation of Francisco Franco, the fascist general who toppled the Republic during the Spanish Civil War and subsequently ruled as dictator of Spain for nearly four decades. Together, the two prints comprise an eighteen-scene narrative that was reproduced on postcards and sold to support the Republican government during the war. Picasso drew on his unique style of abstraction to impart the terror of war, representing Franco as an abject, monstrous figure throughout. The last four scenes, which were added after the Basque town of Guernica was leveled by bombs, relate to studies for his famed mural Guernica (1937) in the collection of the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.

The Dream and Lie of Franco I, Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France), Etching and sugar-lift aquatint

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The Dream and Lie of Franco I, Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France), Etching and sugar-lift aquatint
The Dream and Lie of Franco I, Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France), Etching and sugar-lift aquatint
The Dream and Lie of Franco I, Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France), Etching and sugar-lift aquatint

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