Yesterday I posted his portrait so today a work from the master himself. Difficult to choose: a lot of his paintings are in the Prado…

 

Francisco Goya
(1746 - 1828)

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes  was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and engravings reflected contemporary historical upheavals and influenced important 19th- and 20th-century painters. Goya is often referred to as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Goya

El Tres de Mayo (The third of May)
1814
Oil on canvas
260 x 340 cm
Museo del Prado
https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/wd/5e177409-2993-4240-97fb-847a02c6496c

 

A depiction of the execution of patriots from Madrid by a firing squad from Napoleon´s army in reprisal for their uprising against the French occupation on the second of May, 1808. The French soldiers are at the right of the composition, with their backs to the viewer. They aim their rifles at the Madrilenes who are to die. The scene´s drama and tension are emphasized by the use of light, which strongly illuminates the heroes, making it possible to distinguish their characters and attitudes in a detailed psychological character study