The Disasters of War (Los Desastres de la Guerra), Plate 9: 'They don't like to' (No quieren)

Original title: Plate 9 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'They don't like to' (No quieren)

Artist: Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
Date: 1810 (published 1863)
Medium: Etching, aquatint, drypoint, burin
Dimensions: Plate: 6 1/8 × 8 3/16 in. (15.5 × 20.8 cm) Sheet: 9 15/16 × 13 7/16 in. (25.2 × 34.2 cm)
Credit line: Purchase, Jacob H. Schiff Bequest, 1922

kurzbeschreibung

Goya made this etching, titled 'No quieren' (They do not want), in 1810 as part of his series 'The Disasters of War,' which only appeared in 1863 after his death. It portrays a woman locked in a man's embrace while an armed figure closes in on her. The print combines etching, aquatint, drypoint, and burin.

Description

A bearded man in a cap has his arms wrapped around a woman; from the right, another man in long sleeves approaches with a raised weapon. The setting is aboard a ship, indicated by the ship's wheel in the background. The layout presses the figures tightly together, focusing attention on their interaction. Diffuse light casts a dark, menacing veil over the action. Rendered in shades of gray, the monochrome scheme reinforces the serious tone.

Context

Between 1810 and 1820, Goya responded with this series to the Napoleonic Wars in Spain (1808–1814). The plates were not published until 1863, long after Goya's death, by the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. 'No quieren' addresses sexual violence in war, a motif that recurs several times in the series. During Goya's lifetime, the etchings were not intended for the public; they served as his personal processing of wartime experiences.

Impact

The cramped grouping of the figures and the threatening posture of the armed man provoke immediate unease. Diffuse light and rough linework create an atmosphere of distress and helplessness. Without any heroization, the viewer witnesses a scene of violence.

Technique

Etching with aquatint, drypoint, and burin on paper. Aquatint produces soft tonal gradations, while drypoint and burin add fine lines and hatching. The interplay of these techniques yields a rich graphic range from deep shadows to bright areas.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)