Francisco de Goyas The Third of May 1808 - Essay Example

The artistry was better rendered with the anonymity of the executioner (Plagens 317) because it added drama to the painting. What was highlighted instead was the atmosphere that contributes to the gore and brutality of the execution. The main subject which was a civilian with his arms spread like the Christ in crucifixion was set against the backdrop of the rising mountain and heavy blackness of the night to highlight the terror of the persecution (Singer 42). He also emphasized fear in the painting by “trailing the line of unfortunate captives into the distance, suggesting that this action will be repeated throughout the night” (Harris). , Goya’s The Third of May painting was rendered with “broad and rough strokes of the brush [similar] to the mature work of the Great Spanish Baroque painter Diego Velasquez whom Goya so much admired ”.

I. Evaluation
I like the theme and social message of the painting because it is very relevant today. It is happening in Syria, Egypt, and somewhere else albeit the parties are different but the nature of persecution remains. Francisco de Goya’s “First of May” may be the first strongest political artwork that depicted persecution.

Originally, Goya’s Third of May painting was borne out of the Spaniard’s social unrest when a French soldier was shot dead in Madrid on May 2, 1808 (A painting entitled Dos de Mayo Uprising preceded the Third of May painting where the citizens of Spain revolted) during the Napoleonic occupation. The blame was pointed to a Spanish sniper and the French soldiers retaliated with a swift, brutal, and disproportionate response on the next day (hence the title Third of May). Napoleonic troops then retaliated by rounding up a large number of innocent peasants on the Third of May who was accused to part of the uprising. The soldiers had the peasants marched beyond the city walls and then had them shot which Goya putatively had witnessed.

This background of the painting of disproportionate response of violence to social unrest corresponds very well with what is happening in Syria, Egypt, and elsewhere in the world making it timeless and one of my favorite paintings of all time.

II. Response
The dark and grim background of the painting is not accidental but rather highlighted the drama of the painting. One particular aspect of the painting that I found very symbolic is the stretched arms of the peasant when he was executed. I wondered why has it to be stretched out to form his body like a crucifixion. This connotes a religious undertone which reflects Goya’s religiosity and added richness to the meaning of the painting. The red color of the clothing also contrasted with the background making it more alive to the audience. Also, the faceless executioner elicits a lot of response from the audience which may have been intentional to engage the audience in the painting.
The painting was rendered without so many details and technicality compared to other artists but it nevertheless did not weigh less in terms of artistic importance.

III. Conclusion
Francisco de Goya's “The First of May” painting was not only aesthetically pleasing but also socially relevant. Goya made good use of artwork to show the world the brutality of persecution in a manner that would move people. Thus, his artwork became timeless because even the modern audience could understand the underlying meaning of the painting. The importance of the artwork is not only relevant in the field of fine arts but also in other fields as well such as political science, history, and social studies where particular events in history were succinctly presented by a painting. Read More