"May 3, 1808 in Madrid": 15 little-known facts about the painting by Goya that made him famous

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The romanticist artist Francisco Goya went down in history thanks to his far from romance masterpiece - a painting depicting the bloody suppression of the Madrid uprising on May 3, 1808. In our review, there are interesting facts about this canvas.

1. Reminder of a dark event

In 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte's troops crossed the Pyrenees in order to, in alliance with Spain, seize and divide the territory of Portugal. However, Napoleon had his own plans and tried to invade Spain. When the Spanish king Charles IV realized what was happening, he tried to flee to South America. But before fleeing, he was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of his son Ferdinand VII because of a wave of popular anger.

As a result, an uprising took place in Madrid, which was ruthlessly suppressed by French troops. These events are described in the painting "May 3, 1808 in Madrid". Two days later, Napoleon forced both kings (Charles and Ferdinand) to abdicate in favor of himself, after which he appointed his brother Joseph as the new monarch of Spain. Ferdinand VII was able to take the throne again only after 6 years.

2. Goya's painting has several names

Goya's painting is known under the names "Shooting on May 3", "May 3, 1808 in Madrid" or simply "Shooting".

3. The painting has a prequel

A little earlier, Goya painted the painting "The Uprising of May 2, 1808 in Madrid", which depicts the day of the Madrid Uprising. This painting shows the joyful Spaniards celebrating their victory. No one knew that the next day, May 3, 1808, in Madrid, Napoleonic soldiers would kill hundreds of rebels.

4. Painting apology

During the French occupation, Goya retained his position as court painter, i.e. he swore an oath of allegiance to the usurper Joseph Bonaparte. When the French were finally expelled from Spain in February 1814, Goya asked the Spanish government for permission to "immortalize with a brush the most visible and heroic moments of the glorious uprising against the European tyrant."

5. Negative reviews

The film instantly earned contempt from critics. Goya actually trampled on all traditions, presenting the heroes of the war in a less epic light than was customary. He also painted blood on the painting, which was very unpopular in the history of 19th century painting.

6. Christian iconography and emotionality

While Goya abandoned the tradition of portraying people in the most favorable light, he "made a curtsey" towards piety. It is worth noting how the man in the center of the picture raises his hands in a pose similar to Jesus hanging on the cross. And if you look closely, you will notice that, like Jesus, this man has a wound on his right hand that resembles a stigma. In this context, the Spanish rebels are represented as martyrs who died in the name of love and service to the motherland.

7. Spotlight light

Baroque artists were excellent at using the image of light to symbolize the divine, but in "May 3, 1808 in Madrid," the shining searchlight is an auxiliary tool for French soldiers during the execution of rebels at night.

8. Antiwar motives

The blood, the men who mourn their lives before being shot, and the central figure with raised hands testify that Goya wanted to present the war not as a noble, but as a terrible occupation. With all due respect to the Spaniards who died in the struggle to liberate the city, he painted the war and its victims in a grotesque light. Soldiers kill unarmed men who have turned away from them so that their faces cannot be seen.

9. Deceptive dimensions

The dimensions of the painting "May 3, 1808 in Madrid" are 375 × 266 cm. "The uprising of May 2, 1808 in Madrid" is about the same size.

10. Painting exhibited in Madrid

Some historians believe that the painting was in the possession of the king for about 30 years before it was donated to the Madrid Prado Museum between 1819 and 1845. For the first time, the painting was included in the museum's catalog only in 1872.

11. A turning point in the work of Goya

The French occupation made a deep impression on the artist. Although at first he supported the French Revolution, Goya subsequently experienced all the horrors of the French occupation. Previously, Goya's works were more focused on social and political themes, and, starting with "May 3" and "May 2," his work took on a darker color and became more gloomy.

12. The date of the first airing is unknown

Historians have not found any mention of when the film premiered. Perhaps this strange gap in historical records was due to the fault of the King of Spain Ferdinand VII, who was not a fan of "May 3, 1808 in Madrid".

13. War

They were not damaged during the battle. In an attempt to preserve the paintings during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), "May 3" and "May 2" were transported to Valencia and then to Geneva. On the way, there was an accident in which both works were damaged.

14. A subject of inspiration for artists

Edouard Manet's paintings "The Shooting of Emperor Maximilian" and Pablo Picasso's "Massacre in Korea" display the same anxiety that was first shown in Goya's paintings.

15. "May 3, 1808 in Madrid" - one of the most famous paintings about the war

May 3, 1808 in Madrid is often compared to Picasso's Guernica, as both paintings openly show the brutality of the war. Although the canvas was initially highly criticized, today it is considered an innovative masterpiece.

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