Introduction
The Third of May by Francisco Goya is a depiction of the French invasion of Spain and the Spanish people’s reaction to it. The painting shows a group of Spanish men (Lechte&John,3) being executed by a firing squad while other soldiers are on horseback looking down at them. Often referred to as “Francisco Goya’s Guernica,” the painting is considered to be one of the most important paintings ever created. The painting is just one part of a series of 80 works called The Disasters of War, which depicts the horror and atrocities experienced during the Peninsular War, also known as the Napoleonic Wars. In addition to the dark subject matter, it is also notable for its realistic portrayal of the brutality and savagery that occurred. The painting was completed when Goya was 77 years old and blind. This was not Goya’s first experience with depicting war; he had illustrated several battles during the War of Independence from Napoleon Bonaparte’s forces.
The subject matter
“The Third of May” is a painting completed in 1814 by the Spanish painter Francisco Goya, now in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. In the work, Goya sought to commemorate Spanish resistance to Napoleon’s armies during the occupation of 1808 in the Peninsular War. The painting’s content, presentation, and emotional force secure its status as a groundbreaking, archetypal image of the horrors of war. However, Goya wanted to show how terrible war can be and how it affects both soldiers and civilians alike. He also wanted to show how little difference there is between right and wrong when it comes to war: everyone suffers regardless of which side they are on. He depicts women holding their children close while they watch soldiers lead them away from their husbands or fathers into captivity; he shows men who are beaten down by grief because they have lost everything that once mattered most to
The shapes, lighting, and colors are used in the painting.
The light source appears to be from above and behind the Spanish prisoners. It casts a shadow on their bodies but does not cast a shadow on the soldiers or their horses. It leaves a halo-like effect around the heads of some of the prisoners, as well as two candles that are being held by others in the group. There is also a moon visible in the sky behind them, which is illuminating both them and their shadows on the ground. Lastly, the colors used in this painting are mostly warm tones (reds, yellows, and oranges), with cool tones (blues) used for shadowing and some minor details like streaks in smoke coming from guns and candles
How do the shapes, lighting, and colors work to express a particular mood or emotion in the painting you chose.
Lighting: The overall lighting in this painting is very dark because of the nighttime setting. Most of the light is coming from the barrel of the musket and some candles that are being held by a few people. The only bright spot on the canvas is the face of the man kneeling in front of the firing squad.
Shapes: There are a lot of round shapes in this painting. The shape of the moon, which is shown at the top left corner, was used as inspiration for many other paintings created by Goya. Also, most of the bodies in this painting are drawn as round shapes. This creates a feeling that these people are innocent victims because this style makes them look childlike and innocent.
Colors: Most of the colors in his piece are dark, with shades of gray and black being used to create a feeling of sadness and despair (Bowles&Kathy,9). Even the sky has been painted gray, rather than blue or black, to show that it is not a normal night sky, but one that has been tainted by sadness and despair.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Francisco Goya created the painting “The Third of May” to express his feelings about the independence of a country that had sought its freedom after being ruled by a tyrannical king. Goya believed in freedom and very much supported the new Spanish Republican government (Lechte&Johh,3) that overthrew the Spanish monarchy. To show his support for this government, Goya painted a picture that depicted their efforts to eliminate the threat of revolt.
Reference
Bowles, Kathy Johnson. “The Color of Trauma.” Afterimage 48.2 (2021): 9-32.
Lechte, John. “Bataille: Image and Victim.” Theory, Culture & Society 38.4 (2021): 3-22.
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