Michael Carlo Klepsch:  Picasso and National Socialism

The artist in the Gestapo's sights: Picasso living and surviving under the Nazi regime in France Picasso was not only an artist of genius; he also possessed a sharp political mind which he used to oppose the onward march of the Fascists through artistic protest. His 'Guernica' painting was a powerful indictment of the oppression of his Spanish homeland. When German troops marched into France, the painter remained in Paris despite the chances to escape which were offered to him. There, Picasso – denounced as 'Israel's paintbrush' – formed close ties to the Resistance and came into the Gestapo's sights. But Picasso was able to ride out the darkest years of his life. After the liberation of Paris, he joined the Communist Party. The author evaluates new source material (including the 'Picasso File' maintained by the Paris police) and describes the claustrophobic atmosphere in occupied Paris, as well as the dramatic battles between the occupying forces and the Resistance.