The Third of May 1808
1814
Goya captured the brutal execution of Spanish civilians by Napoleon's troops in this raw, emotional masterpiece of Romanticism. The central figure, a man in a bright white shirt with his arms thrown up in defiance, is illuminated by a harsh lantern light, contrasting sharply with the faceless, mechanical firing squad. Painted in 1814 after the war ended, it broke away from traditional heroic war art to show the ugly, bloody reality of conflict, forever changing how artists depicted violence.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Museo del Prado, Madrid
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