One of my "day trips" from Madrid included a visit to the Reina Sofia museum...the home of the works of more modern Spanish artists, such as Miro, Dali, and Picasso. While I do consider myself a connoisseur of art, I especially enjoy Spanish art. I've found that Miro and Dali have a lot to offer in the entertainment arena, even if only for a few minutes, as with the Great Masturbator or The Enigma of Hitler by Dali. Miro entertains me more with the simplicity and character of his art. Picasso on the other hand, is presented as a well practiced, perfectly crafted assassin, as his many attempts at creating a perfect piece of art, his Guernica, are displayed quite proudly and make up most of the Picasso exhibit at the museum.
The real draw to the Reina Sofia is, in fact, Picasso's final and perfectly crafted Guernica, the quintessential Spanish masterpiece. Not only does it represent the modernisms and intricacies of Picasso's finest work, but the suffering by innocent individuals and the rawness and reality of fascism, socialism, and dictatorship to a real population of people. It was, and I believe will remain to be, the only work of art that will move me in such a way. A once in a lifetime opportunity....
