Gijs van Hensbergen lectures on architecture and is the author of Art Deco (1986) , In the Kitchens of Castile (1992, reissued 2002) and the acclaimed biography Gaudi (2001).

'Enthralling ... This is high-action drama, told like the rest within a huge frame of reference, theme interlocked with theme ... A painting which began its life within a particular political context has emerged as a universal statement on the ever-present horror and suffering of war. Van Hensbergen has treated an extraordinary subject admirably' Evening Standard 'Brilliant' Observer 'Hensbergen shows how the history of art, world events and the drama of Picasso's own life came together on the canvas ... This is a fascinating biography, very gracefully handled' Miranda France, Daily Telegraph 'This is a dramatic story with all the twists and turns of a political thriller, all the danger of an action adventure, and all the sexual intrigue of a romantic novel. A racy narrative is combined with the fruits of encyclopaedic research' Sunday Herald

Gijs van Hensbergen lectures on architecture and is the author of Art Deco (1986) , In the Kitchens of Castile (1992, reissued 2002) and the acclaimed biography Gaudi (2001).

'Enthralling ... This is high-action drama, told like the rest within a huge frame of reference, theme interlocked with theme ... A painting which began its life within a particular political context has emerged as a universal statement on the ever-present horror and suffering of war. Van Hensbergen has treated an extraordinary subject admirably' Evening Standard 'Brilliant' Observer 'Hensbergen shows how the history of art, world events and the drama of Picasso's own life came together on the canvas ... This is a fascinating biography, very gracefully handled' Miranda France, Daily Telegraph 'This is a dramatic story with all the twists and turns of a political thriller, all the danger of an action adventure, and all the sexual intrigue of a romantic novel. A racy narrative is combined with the fruits of encyclopaedic research' Sunday Herald

Gijs van Hensbergen lectures on architecture and is the author of Art Deco (1986) , In the Kitchens of Castile (1992, reissued 2002) and the acclaimed biography Gaudi (2001).

'Enthralling ... This is high-action drama, told like the rest within a huge frame of reference, theme interlocked with theme ... A painting which began its life within a particular political context has emerged as a universal statement on the ever-present horror and suffering of war. Van Hensbergen has treated an extraordinary subject admirably' Evening Standard 'Brilliant' Observer 'Hensbergen shows how the history of art, world events and the drama of Picasso's own life came together on the canvas ... This is a fascinating biography, very gracefully handled' Miranda France, Daily Telegraph 'This is a dramatic story with all the twists and turns of a political thriller, all the danger of an action adventure, and all the sexual intrigue of a romantic novel. A racy narrative is combined with the fruits of encyclopaedic research' Sunday Herald