Plate 14 from 'The Disasters of War' (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'It's a hard step!' (Duro es el paso!)
Original title: Plate 14 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'It's a hard step!' (Duro es el paso!)
kurzbeschreibung
Francisco de Goya made this sheet, the fourteenth in his series 'The Disasters of War', around 1810; it was not printed until 1863. The etching, known by its Spanish title 'Duro es el paso!', gathers a group of people in a charged scene around a wooden scaffold.
Description
A man clings to a wooden scaffold at the center, surrounded by standing and kneeling figures. Some hesitate, others seem resolute; further people appear in the distance, each in a different posture. The layout is markedly asymmetrical. Black and white dominate, with light falling evenly and without visible shadows, making the figures stand out. Their faces are expressive, and the arrangement feels restless, heightening the tension of the moment.
Context
During the Spanish War of Independence (1808–1814), Goya worked on the series 'Los Desastres de la Guerra', recording the horrors of war. Publication during his lifetime was impossible for political reasons; the prints appeared only in 1863, after his death. The fourteenth plate focuses on the hardships and suffering of civilians, a recurring theme in the series.
Impact
The uneven distribution of visual weight and the expressive figures create immediate tension. Because the light falls evenly, attention turns to human gestures. What remains is a thoughtful, oppressive mood.
Technique
In this print Goya combined etching, drypoint, burin, and burnished lavis. This mixture allows fine lines and graduated tones, so details and shadows can be rendered precisely—characteristic of his work in printmaking.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)