Francisco de Goya is described as a Romantic artist, yet his work almost defies stylistic classification. His early work was rococo-like as he painted many Spanish royal studio portraits. He opposed religious fanaticism, so many of his works criticized the church. He transitioned into what is known as his "black period," where he explored the dark and terrifying subconscious world. Goya thinks that evil isn't attributed to the devil, but to humanity itself.

The Third of May 1808 is the witnessed suffering of Spanish countrymen during Napoleon's invasion of Spain. This was painted after Spain regained its independence, but it shows there's no positive parts to war, only bloodshed. There is no excuse for it. Your attention is directed towards the defenseless civilians with their hands raised and covering themselves. This is when people were rounded up randomly to avenge an attack that had been taken on French forces the day before. The painting shows the French's violent response and memorializes the ones lost in the conflict. It's filled with savagery.

The lantern that divides the two forces represents the Enlightenment. It's supposed to bring reason and order to society, yet it's what separates the two sides. The Church and the crucifixion-like posture of the man represent Christianity. Religion is supposed to be the unity of humankind, so here, it's an innocence that's faced with cruelty. The brightly shining white shirt man exposes the struggle of human martyrdom.

I appreciate Goya's attempt at painting innocence versus violence. You can see the terror in the civilians eyes and the cowardice of the gun-wielding men who face away from the viewer. The lighting is my favorite part. The lantern shines against the men, almost like shining a spotlight on the injustice of the situation. In this painting, Goya uses arts as a means to not only express talent, but also portray history in an emotional way.