Though he began as a realist painter, Pablo Picasso is far better known for his innovations in style, which took modern art beyond the boundaries of realism. Rejecting the western tradition that art should "look like" what it represented, Picasso portrayed truth, beauty, horror, war, and other themes in ways that strike the viewer emotionally and clearly. Among his masterpieces is the work "Guernica," which portrays the terror and destruction of bombing raids on that city during the Spanish Civil War. Picasso hoped that his work would be "unforgettable," that viewers would remember the painting and the events that inspired it; surely he succeeded.

1. Read about the creation of the disturbing masterpiece "Guernica," and explore links to its historical context, at
   
   http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/guernica_nav/main_guerfrm.html
   
   
2. Read an informative, brief biography of the painter, with images of his work, at
   
   http://www.clevelandart.org/PicassoAS/html/9458585.html
   
   
3. Picasso paintings on the web can be viewed by clicking on the links at
   
   http://www.artchive.com/artchive/P/picasso_late.html