Spain: 'The Dream and Lie of General Franco', part 2 (showing signature). Pablo Picasso, January 1937

'The Dream and Lie of Franco' is a series of two sheets of prints, comprising 18 individual images, and an accompanying prose poem, by Pablo Picasso produced in 1937. The sheets each contain nine images arranged in a 3x3 grid. The first 14, in etching and aquatint, are dated 8 January 1937. The remaining 4 images were added to the second printing plate later, without use of aquatint, and dated June 7, 1937.

'The Dream and Lie of Franco' is significant as Picasso's first overtly political work and prefigures his iconic political painting 'Guernica'. The etchings satirise Spanish Generalísimo Francisco Franco's claim to represent and defend conservative Spanish culture and values by showing him in various ridiculous guises destroying Spain and its culture while the poem denounces 'evil-omened polyps'. Three of the four images added in June 1937 are directly related to studies for 'Guernica'.

The individual images were originally intended to be published as postcards to raise funds for the Spanish Republican government, and sold at the Spanish Pavilion of the 1937 World's Fair, although it is unclear whether any prints were made or sold in postcard format.

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Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

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