Francisco Goya created a series of plates known as The Disasters of War between 1810 and 1820. The etchings, done on copper plates, depict the horrors of war: the violence of individual conflict, the punishment/murder of civilians, and the atrocitites committed agaisnt women. Goya sketched his drafts at the battle sites and later made the plates in his studio. The fact that these images were made permanent on metal plates testifies to how important it he felt it was to preserve the memories of war.
Molly Crabapple, on the Between the Covers Podcast, talks about the impression seeing these plates made on her. When the interiew took place she had just completed her co-written book Brothers of the Gun: A Memoir of the Syrian War. Together with the host, she talks about the merits of being able to draw in the age of photography. Cameras can be banned but an artist can depict the scene during (and after) the fact with just a piece of paper and a pencil. Crabapple brings up a good point when talking about her experiences covering the war in Syria: drawing is a universal skill and the sketchpad is one way to break down the barriers between cultures.
