The artwork in question is an etching by Francisco Goya, titled “This is worse.” Created between 1812 and 1815, it is a piece executed through a combination of drypoint, etching, and lavis on paper. The work measures 15.7 by 20.8 centimeters and falls within the Romanticism movement. It belongs to Goya’s renowned series “The Disasters of War” and is categorized as a caricature. Currently, the artwork is part of a private collection.
The artwork depicts a stark and harrowing scene, characterized by Goya’s raw emotional expression that is typical of the Romanticism period. In the foreground, a lifeless, nude figure is impaled on a broken tree, with a look of agony frozen on the face. The unsettling position suggests a brutal and unnatural death. In the background, an individual wearing a hat, possibly a soldier, seems to be slinking away from the central horror, which may imply indifference or escape from responsibility in witnessing such atrocity. The landscape around these figures is only lightly detailed, giving the artwork a sense of immediacy and focusing the viewer’s attention on the graphic violence depicted. Through the stark contrast and dramatic subject matter, Goya conveys a powerful message on the senselessness and savagery of war, making “This is worse” a haunting example of art as a medium for social commentary and historical testimony.
