Franco's reign in Spain recalled

From more than 50 countries, some 45,000 volunteers left homes and families to fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War. One of the most powerful images of the conflict remains Picasso's Guernica. Painted following the massive aerial bombardment of the Basque town by German and Italian Nationalist allies in 1937, it's an angry memorial to the thousands of civilian war dead.

Though Picasso's masterpiece will not form part of this exhibition, Picasso is one of the many artists who feature in this major survey marking the 65th anniversary of the arrival in Spain of these foreign volunteers. With letters, diary extracts, documentary photographs, posters and artefacts, as well as paintings, this overview of the conflict examines both the everyday dangers faced by these men and women and the response of artists and writers. Among these are letters by George Orwell, news dispatches from Ernest Hemingway and poems by Stephen Spender, all of whom fought against Franco's troops.

Interestingly, the artwork executed in response to the horrors of the war also coincided with the rise of Surrealism. Many of the artists here, such as Miró, Dalí and Magritte - as well as Picasso and Henry Moore at this time - were producing their most powerful Surrealist work. And echoing the madness of war with suitably bizarre imagery seems eminently fitting.

The Spanish Civil War: Dreams and Nightmares

Until April 28, Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road SE1, daily 10am to 6pm, £6.50, £5.50 concs (free from Dec 1).

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