Two Great Artists Portray War
When we think about art, we usually think about something beautiful. But art reflects life, and there are numerous themes in art history that are anything but pleasant to look at. One of these themes is war. War is always a sad and solemn subject. So much waste – of lives, of resources, and the total disruption of the peaceful course of everyday life. While most of the military art as a genre focuses on the heroics and propaganda associated with the war, two famous artists, Goya and Vereshchagin, capture the theme in their own way aiming to portray the very essence of war. Francisco Goya (1746–1828) is known for a whole series of prints (82 in total) called "The Disasters of War". They were created between 1810 and 1820 – surprisingly, the time frame that many of Jane Austen’s novels fall into. The Peninsular War fought against Napoleon’s advancing and conquering troops lasted for seven years. It was one of the first wars in which guerilla warfare played a tremendously im...