Disasters of War: Evocations of Goya 1955

Abidin Dino made this painting, ‘Disasters of War: Evocations of Goya’ using what looks like oil paint in shades of brown, white, and black. The brushstrokes are visible and raw, really emphasizing the process of artmaking. What hits me is the sheer physicality of it. The paint isn't trying to hide; it's right there on the surface, thick and unapologetic. Look at the dark brown strokes that define the ground; they're like deep wounds cut into the canvas. And then there are the bodies, rendered in ghostly whites and earthy browns, almost dissolving into the landscape. It makes you think about texture, color, and surface as not just visual elements, but as emotional carriers. Dino clearly evokes Goya, but there is something else, maybe echoes of Picasso's Guernica, or even Francis Bacon's distorted figures. It's like a conversation across time, where artists grapple with the unspeakable through paint. We are reminded that art isn’t about answers, but about asking the tough questions and embracing the discomfort of not knowing.