The Total War and the Historical Paintings

(Farce and Tragedy in Goya)

Authors

  • Mariano de Blas Ortega Facultad de Bellas Artes. Universidad Complutense de Madrid

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24215/24691488e067

Keywords:

Violence, tragedy, sublime representation, realistic representation

Abstract

Faced with an idealized depiction of the War, Goya presents it as a tragedy without artifice. Anonymous people, civilians and military, suffer and become brutalized. Its protagonists are depicted as real beings, not like heroes. In contrast, beautiful battles are shown, where everything is sublime and beautiful. Their heroes are illuminated by scenery in the form of a sort of winged victory, even disguised as generals. Goya uses also costume and mask in some of his portraits but just because to unveil a farce. As an epilogue, two works of contemporary artists are related to the demystifying version of Goya’s visual arguments, thereby highlighting his lucidity and current relevance.

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References

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Published

2021-05-21

How to Cite

de Blas Ortega, M. (2021). The Total War and the Historical Paintings: (Farce and Tragedy in Goya). Arte E Investigación, (19), e067. https://doi.org/10.24215/24691488e067

Issue

No. 19 (2021): Arte e Investigación 19

Section

Articles

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