Why it matters
Goya's painting of Spanish civilians executed by French soldiers broke with the traditions of Christian and battle painting and is seen as one of the first paintings of the modern era. Kenneth Clark called it 'the first great picture which can be called revolutionary in every sense of the word'.
Did you know?
- Goya himself suggested the commission to the provisional government after the French occupation ended.
- It has a companion piece of the same size, The Second of May 1808.
- It inspired later works by Manet and Picasso, and Gerald Holtom's peace sign.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Third of May 1808 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
