Plate 66 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Strange devotion!' (Extraña devocion!)
Original title: Plate 66 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'Strange devotion!' (Extraña devocion!)
kurzbeschreibung
A dead donkey lies in an open coffin, surrounded by mourners – this motif comes from Goya's print series 'The Disasters of War', plate 66. Created in 1814–15 and published in 1863 as an etching with aquatint, it intertwines wartime suffering with an ironic twist on religious ritual.
Description
A dead donkey occupies the foreground, lying in an open coffin. Several figures in simple robes and caps stand around it; some lean down or touch the coffin, while others pause. A second coffin with another body can be made out in the background. The layout feels symmetrical, the light is subdued, and the mood is gloomy and oppressive.
Context
Between 1810 and 1820, Goya responded with this series to the Napoleonic Wars in Spain and the subsequent restoration. The prints remained unpublished during his lifetime; the first edition appeared only in 1863. Plate 66 belongs to a group of plates that address hunger, death, and the impact of war on civilians.
Impact
An oppressive blend of grief and absurdity takes hold. Human devotion in the presence of an animal carcass feels both disturbing and ironic. Because Goya limits himself to a few pictorial elements and chooses dark tones, the scene gains emotional force.
Technique
Etching, aquatint, and burin combine to produce fine lines and deep shadows. Aquatint allows soft tonal gradations, while the burin sets precise contours. The plate was printed on paper measuring 9 15/16 × 13 1/2 inches.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)