Art and Architecture of the Early 20th Century

"Art is not made to decorate rooms. It is an offensive weapon in the defense against the enemy." (Pablo Picasso) The beginning of the twentieth century was a period marked by intense aesthetic and ideological research. Caught up in the chaos of historical world conflicts, artists went beyond the simple role of witnesses to become true players in the unstable atmosphere. Well-aware of their influence, painters, sculptors and architects, each with their own media, attempted to inform the public about contemporary issues or solve problems caused by cultures advancing at a rapid assembly-line speed. Picasso's masterpiece Guernica remains to this day the ultimate symbol of pacifistic revolts. Lavishly illustrated, this book will help the reader understand the period when artists adjusted to the accelerating pace of their world by creating works of timeless modernity.