They make use of them (Se aprovechan), Plate 16 from 'The Disasters of War'
Original title: Plate 16 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'They make use of them' (Se aprovechan)
kurzbeschreibung
This sixteenth plate from Goya's series The Disasters of War (Los Desastres de la Guerra) was made around 1810 but only printed in 1863. It shows a group of people in a barren landscape who have fallen victim to violence.
Description
Two figures lie on the ground: one, nearly stripped bare, is motionless; the other, plainly dressed, bends over it and holds a weapon. A third person stands upright, also armed. Behind them, more figures can be made out in a similar situation. The layout is decidedly unbalanced, rendered in dark gray tones with strong shading that carries the oppressive mood.
Context
The etchings were created between 1810 and 1820 as a response to Napoleon's occupation of Spain and the ensuing War of Independence. The series was only published in 1863, after Goya's death, by the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Plate 16 takes up the atrocities and dehumanization of war that Goya witnessed at close range.
Impact
The plate emanates a deep hopelessness, coupled with moral indictment. The somber tonality and the unflinching depiction of violence trigger an immediate emotional response in the viewer.
Technique
On a copper plate, Goya combined drypoint, burin, etching, lavis, and burnisher. This mixed technique allowed him fine transitions between light and shadow and a nuanced rendering of the gloomy atmosphere.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)