← Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)

Plate 61 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Perhaps they are of another breed' (Si son de otro linage)

Original title: Plate 61 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Perhaps they are of another breed' (Si son de otro linage)

Artist

Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)

Date

1811–12 (published 1863)

Medium

Etching, lavis, drypoint, burin, burnisher

Dimensions

Plate: 8 1/8 × 6 1/8 in. (20.6 × 15.5 cm) Sheet: 9 15/16 × 13 1/2 in. (25.2 × 34.3 cm)

Credit line

Purchase, Jacob H. Schiff Bequest, 1922

kurzbeschreibung

From Goya's etching series 'The Disasters of War' (1811–12, first published in 1863), this print presents a grim constellation: a wounded or dead person on the ground, a skeleton, and several figures in traditional dress. The etching with lavis, drypoint, burin, and burnisher was made during the Spanish War of Independence.

Description

In the foreground, a person lies on the ground, evidently injured or dead. A skeleton stands beside them, extending a hand as if to touch the body. A woman in traditional clothing with a head covering has placed her hand on the shoulder of another person who looks distressed. Behind these figures, others appear with varying emotions. The layout is strongly asymmetrical; skeleton and woman occupy the centre. Grey tones and subdued light dominate the sheet.

Context

Between 1810 and 1820, Goya responded with this series to the horrors of the Spanish War of Independence (1808–1814) and the ensuing restoration. The prints were only published in 1863, 35 years after Goya's death, by the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. The title 'Perhaps they are of another breed' points to the dehumanisation of war victims, who were regarded as 'other' or 'non-human'.

Impact

A depressing, hopeless mood arises, reinforced by the asymmetry and the central position of the skeleton. Without any heroic elevation, the viewer is confronted with the brutality and senselessness of war.

Technique

Goya combined etching (aquatint) with lavis (washed ink), drypoint, burin, and burnisher to achieve fine lines and soft shadows. This mixed technique allowed him both precise contours and atmospheric darkness, as typical of his late graphic works.

AI-generated description text

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