Considered the most mature and progressive art movement in the Arab world through most of the second half of the twentieth century, Iraqi art faced debilitating challenges through the sanctions of the 1990s and then the invasion of 2003. While the sanctions and wars changed the nature of Iraqi art, the 2003 invasion with its destruction of infrastructure had deeper and wider ramifications. This talk will review the development of modern art during the most optimistic period of Iraqi history and its transformation during the following years till today.