Plate 18 from 'The Disasters of War' (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Bury them and keep quiet' (Enterrar y callar)
Original title: Plate18 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Bury them and keep quiet' (Enterrar y callar)
kurzbeschreibung
This sheet, titled "Begrabt sie und schweigt" (Bury them and be silent), is by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes and dated 1810. It is plate 18 from the series "Los Desastres de la Guerra" (The Disasters of War). The print combines etching, drypoint, and burin; what survives is a working proof. A man carries a corpse piggyback while more dead lie on the ground.
Description
A man in a hat and jacket has loaded a lifeless body onto his back and moves across the image field. On the ground, several motionless figures are lined up side by side, some partly overgrown by plants. Gray tones dominate the view, and the light seems evenly diffused. The rendering remains representational and detailed; the muted tonal palette deepens the somber mood.
Context
Between 1810 and 1820, Goya created his series "Los Desastres de la Guerra" in response to the Napoleonic occupation of Spain and the ensuing War of Independence. The sheet from 1810 falls in the period of direct military conflict and belongs to a group of etchings that bring the cruelty directly before the viewer's eyes. Goya worked on the cycle for years, and it remained unpublished during his lifetime.
Impact
The bearer at the center of the image and the dead stretched out on the ground immediately stir the viewer's sympathy. The dark coloring and diffuse light make grief and despair palpable. The title "Begrabt sie und schweigt" conveys an attitude of resignation and, at the same time, a call for silent remembrance.
Technique
Etching, drypoint, and burin were used on a copper plate. The working proof reveals the fine lines and hatching characteristic of Goya's printmaking. The plate measures 16 x 23.5 cm, the sheet 23.1 x 31.8 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)