Plate 77 from 'The Disasters of War' (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'May the cord break' (Que se rompe la cuerda)
Original title: Plate 77 from "The Disasters of War" (Los Desastres de la Guerra): 'May the cord break' (Que se rompe la cuerda)
kurzbeschreibung
Plate 77 from Francisco Goya's series 'The Disasters of War' captures a single figure breaking away from a crowd lying on the ground. Goya etched the plate in 1814–15, but it was not published until 1863. He combined etching, burnished aquatint, and drypoint. The title 'Que se rompe la cuerda' points to a moment of rupture.
Description
A man in a long robe stands elevated, arms outstretched, appearing to pull free from a group of people prone on the ground. He holds a long tool or stick in one hand. Behind him rises a building with several windows. Dark tones and harsh contours give the scene a grim, expressive mood; the layout is strongly asymmetrical. At the bottom edge is the title 'Que se rompe la cuerda'.
Context
Between 1810 and 1820, Goya made this series in response to the Napoleonic wars in Spain and their aftermath. The prints were only published in 1863, 35 years after Goya's death, by the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. Plate 77 belongs to the second part of the series, which deals with the famines in Madrid. Why this scene was chosen is not recorded; the caption suggests a moment of liberation.
Impact
The expressive figure drawing and stark light-dark contrasts make the scene feel immediately threatening. Asymmetry and dynamic pose create a tension that pulls the viewer into the violence. The monochrome reinforces the somber mood without the distraction of color.
Technique
Goya combined etching, strong aquatint, and drypoint to achieve deep shadows and fine lines. The aquatint was burnished, producing soft tonal gradations, while drypoint added precise details. The plate measures 17.2 × 22 cm and was printed on paper measuring 25.2 × 34 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)