“The Third of May 1808”
This oil on canvas painting from 1814 is by the Spanish Romantic artist, Francisco Goya. It is titled “The Third of May 1808”, sometimes also referred to as “The Executions”. This may be Goya’s most famous piece and is considered by many to be one of the first pieces of ‘modern’ art.
This along with its companion piece, “The Second of May 1808”, were commissioned by the provisional government of Spain to honor the Spanish resistance against the Napoleon and the French during the Peninsular War of 1807 to 1814.
The painting depicts a French firing squad aiming at their Spanish captives who are bathed in the light of a lantern just outside of Madrid. The captors are being executed for their uprising against the French after news spread that the Spanish royal family was going to be removed and sent to France. Hundreds of Spanish were killed that day by the French.
The high emotions that Goya rendered with his brush and the bluntness of the horrors of war made this piece extremely unique during its time, as the usual way of depicting wars were through large scale, romanticized history paintings. This painting helped inspire Édouard Manet’s piece, “The Execution of Emperor Maximilian”.
Goya remained the court painter during the French Occupation of the Peninsular War and some people questioned his allegiance. It is believed that through painting these pieces after the French were removed, Goya reaffirmed his loyalty to Spain.
“The Third of May 1808” is currently on display at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Spain.
For more on Francisco Goya, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
