The power of war images to both shock and numb will be explored in the “Blood and Ink: Disasters of War from Goya to the Chapman Brothers” exhibition running April 5 to June 15 at the DePaul University Art Museum, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. An opening reception will be held April 5, from 5 p.m. to7 p.m.

During the Napoleonic Wars in Spain, Francisco Goya etched more than 80 prints that not only depict the brutality of warfare, but also underscore the historical forces that shaped modern Spain. The “Disasters of War” images, begun in 1810, were among the first to show the unheroic side of conflict and were so graphic they were not printed until after the artist’s death.

The prints capture the atrocities of war in the life-like manner of photographs, but the scenes Goya renders in fearless detail are still considered too disturbing for the mainstream media: firing squads, dismembered bodies and grief-stricken survivors. Fifty-six of the prints from Goya’s original series will be shown in DePaul’s exhibition.

Jake and Dinos Chapman, contemporary British artists influenced by Goya’s legacy, produced their own series of etchings of the same title and similar format. Their works echo the tone of Goya’s images, adding elements of black humor, pop culture, eroticism and 20th century historical references. Eleven prints from their series will be shown in the exhibition.

“The Chapman brothers perpetuate and renew Goya’s subject matter, but they are unable to exceed the astonishing graphic power of his prints,” said Louise Lincoln, director of the museum.

The DePaul Art Museum is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Friday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. For more information about “Blood and Ink” or other museum programs and exhibitions, please call 773/325-7506 or visit the Web site at http://museums.depaul.edu/artwebsite/.

Editors’ Note: J-PEG images of the artists’ works are available upon request.