Plate 19 from 'The Disasters of War' (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'There isn't time now' (Ya no hay tiempo)
Original title: Plate 19 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'There isn't time now' (Ya no hay tiempo)
kurzbeschreibung
Made in 1810 but not published until 1863, this sheet is number 19 from Goya's series The Disasters of War. It captures a violent clash inside a ruined building. The etching, reworked with drypoint, burin, and burnisher, belongs to those Disasters prints that confront the horrors of the Spanish War of Independence.
Description
In the foreground, several figures grapple with one another; a man in the middle holds a weapon and puts up resistance. A woman crouches on the ground, her gaze lost in despair. Behind her, others move hastily through the space. The setting is a dilapidated building, its rubble and murky light underscoring decay. The figures wear traditional clothing, and the layout pulls the eye toward the center of conflict. Dark tonal values and an almost entirely black-and-white scheme deepen the oppressive mood.
Context
Between 1810 and 1820, Goya worked on The Disasters of War, a response to the French occupation of Spain and the ensuing fighting. The prints were only published in 1863, long after his death, by the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. This sheet bears the title 'Ya no hay tiempo' and joins scenes that lay bare immediate violence and the suffering of civilians. The series ranks among the earliest examples of modern war reportage in art.
Impact
The dense arrangement and the expressive faces of panic and despair hit the viewer directly. Dark lighting and restless lines create an atmosphere of chaos and hopelessness that forcefully fulfills the title 'There Is No Time Left'.
Technique
The print is an etching with lavis, drypoint, burin, and burnisher on paper; this method allows fine transitions between light and shadow. Etching and manual reworking produce both precise contours and soft tonal values that carry the dramatic impact of the scene. The plate measures 16.5 × 23.5 cm, the sheet 25.2 × 34.2 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)