WorldCanvass began its eleventh season of internationally focused discussions on September 19 with “Art and the Face of War: Goya and Tolstoy.” While Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco de Goya and Russian writer Leo Tolstoy were separated by time and space, the two created incomparable masterworks centered on the tragic events of the more than decade-long Napoleonic Wars.  WorldCanvass guests joined host Joan Kjaer to explore how these masterworks depicted this period of human struggle, and also how they have been interpreted over time through film and opera.

2019 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Napoleon and the 150th anniversary of the publication of “War and Peace.”  It was also the year in which Francisco de Goya’s “Disasters of War,” part of the UI Stanley Museum of Art’s collection, was being paired with Tolstoy manuscripts from UI Libraries’ Special Collections in a public exhibit. WorldCanvass guests discussed the museum/library collaboration as well as a number of related activities in the fall including film screenings at FilmScene, an opera screening at the UI School of Music, and discussions as part of the Iowa City Book Festival.

WorldCanvass programs are recorded as audio podcasts and are available on Apple Podcasts, the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), and the WorldCanvass website. University of Iowa International Programs produces the series in partnership with MERGE, 136 South Dubuque Street. Audio production is provided by Kyle Marxen. 

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Amy Green in advance at amy-green-1@uiowa.edu or 319-335-1433.