Plate 27 from 'The Disasters of War' (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Charity' (Caridad)
Original title: Plate 27 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Charity' (Caridad)
kurzbeschreibung
A wounded or dying fighter is tended by others in plate 27 of Goya's etching series 'The Disasters of War'. The work dates from 1810 and was published in print in 1863. It was executed as an etching, supplemented by lavis, drypoint, burin and burnisher.
Description
A crowd of figures has gathered around a wounded man lying on the ground. Some of them carry weapons, while others try to support the injured man or carry him away. Rocks and water suggest a simple natural setting. The clothing of those involved looks traditional and points to a past era. Movement and the turning of figures toward one another shape the image's structure.
Context
Between 1810 and 1820, Goya created his etching series 'The Disasters of War' as a response to the Napoleonic Wars in Spain and the restoration that followed. Only in 1863, after the artist's death, did the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid issue the series. Under the title 'Caridad' (Charity), plate 27 deals with humanitarian aid in the face of wartime atrocities—a motif that recurs several times in the series.
Impact
Greys and blacks dominate the monochrome plate and heighten the oppressive mood. Willingness to help and vulnerability are brought close to the viewer, without glossing over the cruelty of war.
Technique
Etching, lavis, drypoint, burin and burnisher come together in this plate. This combination produces fine transitions between light and shadow and precise linework. The plate measures 16 × 23.5 cm; it was printed on paper measuring 25.2 × 34.3 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)