Francisco de Goyas Painting, The Third of May Essay -- Art Painting P

Francisco de Goya's Painting, The Third of May Goya's painting has historical significance, as well as a social message that he wanted to send to generations to come. The painting The Third of May, by Francisco de Goya, was done in 1814 to commemorate the events of that took place during the Napoleonic Wars in Madrid, Spain on May 2 and 3 1808. The painting sets the scene of a man about to be killed by a firing squad. The bodies of those who have already been killed are scattered around him, and those that wait to be killed stand in line behind him. The ground is covered in blood from those who have already been executed. The sky in the background is black, with the outline of a convent on the horizon. Through my religious upbringing, as well as my background in art history, I am able to recognize the symbolism and tools that Goya used to make his statement that war of any kind produces no good. During the Napoleonic Wars, which took place in the early part of the nineteenth century, Spain was invaded in 1807. Napoleon forced King Ferdinand to abdicate the throne, which he gave to his brother Joseph Bonaparte. Many Spanish citizens welcomed the presence of the French in Spain because of the liberal reforms that they made, including a new liberal constitution. But with the rumor that the last member of the royal family was going to be removed from Madrid, the citizens of Madrid gathered in public squares on the night of May 2. At nine o'clock on the morning of the third, an uprising began. The citizens were armed with whatever they could find: scissors, knives, spoons, and a few firearms. The mob temporarily prevented the cart with the remaining members of the royal family from leaving. By mid-afternoon the revolt was... ...m able to recognize them as certain tools used by the painter. It is very possible that if I had not been raised with a religious background or had not taken my art history class, my perspective towards the painting would be very different. I might look at the painting and simply see a man about to be killed. I might not see the sacrificial element of it. My understanding of art and the language of art would be lacking. Without the knowledge of these things I would probably see a more general picture, and I might have missed the aspects of Goya's masterpiece that make the painting so moving to me. Works Cited Tone, John Lawrence. The Fatal Knot: The Guerilla War in Navarre and the Defeat of Napoleon in Spain. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. 1994. Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York: Prentice Hall Inc. and Harry N. Abrams Inc. 1995.