Third of May 1808 by Francisco Goya
Goya’s The Third of May 1808 stands as a groundbreaking anti-war painting that defied tradition and redefined historical art. Its emotional force and stark realism continue to shape how artists confront violence and injustice.
The prominent Romantic painting titled The Third of May 1808, lesser known as The Executions, by Spanish artist Francisco Goya is an oil painting famously known for its avant-garde subject matter depicting the horrors of war. It is perhaps one of the first anti-war paintings to reject the idealization of war and condemning violence, influencing countless future artists and works. Commissioned by the provisional Spanish government in 1814 after the defeat of Napoleon’s occupying forces and the end of the Peninsular War, the painting commemorates the Madrid Resistance fighters who were executed. It measures a monumental 8 feet and 9 inches (268 cm) tall by 11 feet and 4 inches (347 cm) wide, placing it among the museum's most powerful work in both emotional and physical scale. Today, it is housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, where it remains one of their most iconic and striking masterpieces.
Theatrical Brutality
Francisco Goya captures a dramatic scene that reflects the Romantic period by illustrating themes of raw emotion, tension, and immediacy. At the center of the composition, a cubic lantern–the only source of light–illuminates the scene and simultaneously creates depth through chiaroscuro. The brightest figure is a Madrid rebel in a white shirt, on his knees, and his arms outstretched in a surrendering pose reminiscent of the crucifixion. His stance is the most dynamic and expressive among all the figures, emphasizing his emotional intensity. We know he stands as the focal point of the scene because he is highlighted through stark contrast and movement. Goya reinforces this movement with the downward sloping hill, which guides the viewer’s eye towards the French soldiers. Painted at a decreasing scale to establish distance, their rifles direct the viewer's gaze back toward the central figure and group of rebel comrades behind him.
Another important figure who intensifies the drama of the scene is the man lying dead at the feet of the central figure in white. Goya uses foreshortening to emphasize his collapsed form, with red blood across the ground–suggesting a sudden execution that supports the passionate plea of the white-shirted man and those behind him. In the background, Goya illustrates the buildings of Madrid, the tallest likely representing the Church of Santa Cruz also known as ‘the watch tower of Madrid’. These buildings recede into darkness with tones that desaturate and lose value blending with the darkness of the night, perhaps symbolically displaying Madrid’s dark days that descended upon the city in the aftermath.
Overall, the painting resembles a theatrical stage set, drawing inspiration from Caravaggio with its use of tenebrism to emphasize a pivotal moment. In this case, a faceless firing squad cloaked in darkness, executing indefinitely the illuminated victims who pleaded for their lives.
The Historical Revolt
While Francisco Goya was serving as court painter for Charles IV, the monarch’s popularity started to decline. Soon the people of Spain shifted their support to the heir of the throne, Ferdinand VII, who would later make a questionable alliance with Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon, seeking to expand his control over the Iberian Peninsula, betrayed Spain by installing his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish throne in order to enforce the Continental System and exert influence over Portugal.
The Third of May 1808 is a direct sequel to another painting by Goya titled the Second of May 1808, both completed within the same year. It captures the spontaneous uprising of Madrid’s citizens as they clashed with the Mamelukes of the French Imperial Guard (under command of Joachim Murat) violently taking charge of the unruly crowd. The Spanish people in May 1808 finally recognized the army and so-called “moors” as invaders and decided to fight them. In retaliation for the revolt, the French army carried out mass executions of captured Madrid rebels illustrated and immortalized in The Third of May.
This painting stands out as a historical work not only for it’s remarkable message but for its groundbreaking visual approach that predates cameras. Created in an era before photography, Goya’s composition rejects idealized realism in favor of raw emotion, personal suffering, and drama. Additionally, it also underscores why paintings can surpass photography in expressive depth, leaving a lasting impact on future generations of artists. Its message regarding war atrocities, injustice, and human cost remains ubiquitous.
Vocab
Romanticism- Or the Romantic Period was an artistic and intellectual movement that emerged in late 18th century Europe, *reacting against* the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and order by prioritizing emotion, imagination, individualism, and a deep connection to nature, often expressing a fascination with the sublime and the supernatural.
Mameluke- North African and Middle Eastern cavalrymen serving in Napoleon's army during the leadership of Joachim Murat. Often wearing distinctive clothing, and were deployed to intimidate and suppress Spanish civilians during the uprising.
“Moors”- Exonym used to refer muslim foreigners from North Africa living in Iberian Peninsula, often from Morocco.
Crucifixion Pose- A pose in visual arts where the figure has arms extended outward horizontally resembling shape of a cross, often featured in Christianity Art with Jesus.
Joachim Murat- Marshall of France and Napoleons brother-in-law. He was in Charge of French occupation forces in Madrid during uprising and orders the executions shown in Third of May.
Peninsular War- A major conflict in Iberian Peninsula (Involving UK, Spain and Portugal) during the Napoleonic Wars between 1808-1814. It began with the Spanish people resisting the French rule and was a key factor to the First French Empire’s fall and Napoleon’s decline in power.
Tenebrism- A more extreme approach (compared to Chiaroscuro) with deep, almost impenetrable darkness contrasted by dramatic highlights, often used to emphasize divine or religious elements.
Chiaroscuro- Is the general use of light and shadow to create depth and volume, where shadows still retain detail and gradual transitions
Sources
The Third of May 1808 in Madrid, or “The Executions” by Museo del Prado
https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-3rd-of-may-1808-in-madrid-or-the-executions/5e177409-2993-4240-97fb-847a02c6496c
Francisco Goya, The Third of May 1808, by SmartHistory
https://smarthistory.org/goya-third-of-may-1808/
Art historical analysis (painting), a basic introduction using Goya’s Third of May, 1808, by SmartHistory YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QM-DfhrNv8
Francisco Goya, Third of May 1808, by Khan Academy
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/romanticism/romanticism-in-spain/a/goya-third-of-may-1808
How Francisco Goya’s “Third of May” Forever Changed the Way We Look at War by Jackson Arn, Artsy
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-goyas-third-may-forever-changed-way-war?utm_source=chatgpt.com