They do not know the way (No saben el camino), plate 70 from 'The Disasters of War' (Los Desastres de la Guerra)
Original title: Plate 70 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'They do not know the way' (No saben el camino)
kurzbeschreibung
A crowd gathers around a lifeless body in a dark setting. This print, Plate 70 from Goya's series 'The Disasters of War', was made in 1814–15 but published posthumously in 1863. Goya used etching, then reworked the plate with drypoint, burin, and burnisher.
Description
Around a motionless figure on the ground, a group of people presses close. Some weep or clasp their hands in prayer; others stare helplessly. Trees and a cloudy sky form a somber backdrop. The figures' clothing is plain and dark, the ground stony and uneven.
Context
Between 1810 and 1820, Goya responded to the Napoleonic Wars in Spain and their aftermath with this series. The prints were only published in 1863, many years after the artist's death, by the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Plate 70 belongs to the second part of the cycle, which addresses the famine in Madrid and its effects.
Impact
Grief and despair hang over the image. The bleak landscape and the helpless figures create a sense of disorientation and distress.
Technique
Goya worked with etching and added drypoint, burin, and burnisher. This allowed him to produce fine lines and deep shadows that contribute significantly to the print's oppressive mood.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)