The Third of May 1808
By Francisco Goya
Author Award for September 2023
While a great deal of war paintings glorify that endeavor and show it as a triumph, "The Third of May 1808" takes that idea and stands it on its head. By depicting Spanish resistance to the armies of Napoleon as a horror of war, the painting offers little of the glorification that was otherwise so common. Some art historians believe this depiction means Goya has painted one of the first truly modern paintings.
Goya's painting has served as an inspiration for other anti-war and anti-violence movements, and artists such as Manet and Picasso have used the firing squad scene in their own works.
Year: 1814
Medium: Oil on canvas
Location: Museo del Prado, Madrid
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Players with unframed copies: 17
Players with framed copies: 25