IIHA Presents Horrors of War: From Goya to Nachtwey
September 15, 2017, New York City— The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs is honored to present Horrors of War: From Goya to Nachtwey, an exhibition highlighting the human condition and connection amidst atrocities of war.
The inaugural exhibition marked the official opening of the Institute’s new headquarters in Canisius Hall on Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus yesterday. Fordham University President Father Joseph M. McShane, SJ opened the exhibition with a traditional blessing of Canisius Hall in which he blessed the “work and aspirations” of the IIHA.
Horrors of War presents Francisco de Goya’s illustrations of 19th century conflict alongside photographs of modern-day warfare by world-renowned war photographer James Nachtwey. By bringing together the work of two artists from centuries apart, the exhibition illuminates the cruelty and beauty that co-exists in some of the darkest parts of human history.
Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, a world-renowned romantic painter and printmaker, illustrated the horrific outcomes of conflict between Spain and France in his Los desastres de la guerra [The Disasters of War], a series of 82 prints created between 1810 and 1820. These drawings, 17 of which are on display at the Institute, showcase atrocious acts committed by both sides using ambiguous imagery to make it difficult to distinguish which side the dead and mutilated belong to.
Goya exercised a strong influence upon photographer James Nachtwey, a 21st century war photographer.
“Before I had finally decided to become a photographer I visited the Prado Museum in Madrid and happened upon Goya’s Disasters of War. They were etchings, made before the invention of photography, yet they depicted the barbarity of war with such immediacy, I saw a direction connection with the photographic images of my own time, and considered Goya to be the patriarch of war photographers even though he never used a camera,” said Nachtwey.
Nachtwey has captured images of more recent humanitarian crises, including natural disasters, violent conflicts, famines, genocide, and forced migration, on every continent. His photographs express the both the brutality of war and the beauty of life.
“It is easy, in this day and age when we are bombarded with stories of conflict and despair, to forget that mortality statistics, especially in times of war, represent a person. A father, mother, child, sister, partner, friend. Someone who had dreams and joys, desires and stories. In this exhibition, we are invited to take a closer look at aspects of the human condition in times of conflict,” said IIHA Executive Director, Brendan Cahill.
The IIHA expresses its sincere gratitude to James Nachtwey, who generously printed and loaned these images to the Institute for this exhibition; to Dr. John O’Neill, Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books of The Hispanic Museum and Library, who reproduced original prints from the Library’s collection for the exhibition and gave critical advice the exhibition’s curation and design; to Fred Signore and the entire facilities staff at Fordham University who created the exhibition space; and to Kevin M. Cahill, M.D., our University Professor and Founder of the Institute, who acted as the impetus to bring this together.
Horrors of War is the first of many exhibitions that will explore issues of social justice and humanitarian action through art and expression.
It will be on display throughout the fall semester, Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM in Canisius Hall at 2546 Belmont Avenue, Fordham University Rose Hill.
Molly Brodowski, IIHA Communications and Graphic Design Intern
Angela Wells, IIHA Communications Officer
This article was originally published on the previous IIHA Blog.
