The Museum of Calatayud has inaugurated a unique exhibition that brings together 80 prints from Francisco de Goya’s series ‘The Disasters of War’. This exhibition, presented on February 19, 2026, will be open to the public until April 19, offering an exceptional opportunity to explore the artist’s harrowing testimony about the horrors of war.
An Opening with Notable Authorities
The exhibition’s opening was attended by several key figures in the cultural and governmental spheres. Pedro Olloqui, General Director of Culture of the Government of Aragon, along with José Manuel Aranda, Mayor of Calatayud, led the inaugural event. José Ramón Auría, President of the Caja Inmaculada Foundation, Aixa Álvarez, Coordinator of the Goya Foundation in Aragon, and Carlos Sáenz, Director of the Museum of Calatayud, were also present, highlighting the importance of this cultural collaboration. This is the second exhibition of Goya facsimiles hosted by the museum, following the success of ‘Goya. Fantasy and Reason: The Caprichos’ in 2025.
Exploring the Themes of ‘The Disasters of War’
The prints by Goya, created between 1810 and 1820, do not glorify war but rather denounce its brutality and human suffering. The series is organized into three thematic blocks: wartime violence (prints 2 to 47), hunger and disease (48 to 64), and the ‘Emphatic Caprichos’ (65 to the end), which criticize the absolutism of Ferdinand VII. Iconic works such as ‘What Courage!’, ‘This is Worse’, and ‘The Carnivorous Vulture’ stand out for their powerful symbolism and social critique.
Accessibility and Future Projections
The exhibition can be visited from Tuesday to Thursday, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and on Sundays from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays. The Goya Foundation in Aragon has ambitious plans to bring the complete series of the artist’s prints across the Aragonese territory until 2027, including the series of Caprichos, Disasters of War, Disparates, and Tauromachy. Additionally, the museum director has announced improvements to the facilities and an upcoming exhibition of Goya’s prints, promising a vibrant future for the institution and its audience.
