160 Pieces of Goya's Etchings Appear in Beijing Bienale

BEIJING, Sept. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Beijing Bienale, cooperating with Italy-China Cooperation Culture Development Company, curated a special exhibition inside Beijing Bienale 2012 in the National Art Museum of China. This exhibition includes 160 pieces of Francesco Goya's etchings from Disaster of War to Caprices.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120928/CN82505)

The first edition of Disaster of War appeared in 1863 with only 6 series. There are only 3 series of the first edition in existence. One is on display at British Museum, one is at the Spanish Prato Museum and the other one was exhibited in Beijing Bienale. Caprices came out in 1799. The one exhibited this time in Bienale is the third edition. It's a very rare opportunity to see so many of Goya's etchings at one time.

The Disasters of War are a series of 82 prints created between 1810 and 1820. The name by which the series is known today is not given by Goya himself. His handwritten title on an album of proofs given to a friend reads: "Fatal consequences of Spain's bloody war with Bonaparte, and other emphatic caprices." Aside from the titles or captions given to each print, these are Goya's only known words on the series. With these works, he breaks from a number of painterly traditions. He rejects the bombastic heroics of most previous Spanish war art to show the effect of conflict on individuals. In addition, he abandons color in favor of a more direct truth he finds in shadow and shade.

Francisco Goya (30 March 1746–16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker and is regarded as both the last of the Old Masters and the first of the modernists. Goya was a court painter for the Spanish Crown, and was both a commentator on and chronicler of his era through his works. The subversive imaginative element in his art, as well as his bold handling of paint, set a model for later generations of artists, notably Manet, Picasso and Francis Bacon.

About Italy-China Cooperation Culture Development Company

Italy-China Cooperation Culture Development Company has for many years been engaged in cultural and art promotion and communication. It has held a great number of art exhibitions of both domestic and foreign artists in many Chinese and foreign cities. In addition, it has been highly motivated to participate in the cultural communication events in different countries.

In 2006, on the occasion of the Italian Culture Year, the company held an exhibition themed on "the Dream World of Joan Miro" in Beijing Capital International Airport in cooperation with the Italian embassy in China. It was highly praised and this event was reported on by China Daily, CCTV, BTV and many other major media within China.

In 2008, Ms. Feng Jiao from the company was appointed as the only commissioner for international exhibition organizations by the organizing committee of Olympic Fine Arts 2008. Under her organization, 177 artists from 50 countries attended Olympic Fine Arts 2008 with their works. Meanwhile, to commemorate the 2008 Olympic Games, she also worked with 27 well-known artists from China and other countries to make a series of prints with Olympic logo under the authorization of the International Olympic Committee.

For many years the Italian embassy in China has never hesitated to support the Italy-China Cooperation Culture Development Company. Some art works of the company have been put on long-term display at the Cultural Section of the Italian embassy.

For further press information contact:

Caterina Feng
Company Representative
Italy-China Cooperation Culture Development Company
Chaoyang Gongyuan Road 9
100025 Beijing
China

Tel+86 10 6420 8984
Fax +86 10 6420 8984
[email protected]
www.artdataweb.com

SOURCE Italy-China Cooperation Culture Development Company