The Art of Witnessing

Widely acknowledged as a major turning point in the history of visual depictions of war, Francisco de Goyas renowned print series The Disasters of War remains a touchstone for serious engagement with the violence of war and the questions raised by its artistic representation. The Art of Witnessing provides a new account of Goyas print series by taking readers through the forty-seven prints he dedicated to the violence of war. Drawing on facets of Goyas artistry rarely considered together before, the book challenges the notion that documentary realism and historical testimony were his primary aims. Michael Iarocci argues that while the depiction of wars atrocities was central to Goyas project, the lasting power of the print series stems from the artists complex moral and aesthetic meditations on the subject. Making novel contributions to longstanding debates about historical memory, testimony, and the representation of violence, The Art of Witnessing tells a new story, print by print, to highlight the ways in which Goyas masterpiece extends far beyond conventional understandings of visual testimony.