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Soldiers Frightened by a Phantom, from Disparates, published as plate 2 in Los Proverbios

A work made of etching and burnished aquatint in brown-black on ivory wove paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of etching and burnished aquatint in brown-black on ivory wove paper.

Date:

1816–19, published 1864

Artist:

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes
Spanish, 1746-1828

About this artwork

This nightmarish image is a conundrum. Soldiers cowering before a towering specter can be interpreted as representing the fear of death or defeat, illustrating the vulnerability of fighters during a time of war. Upon a closer look, one can see a smirking face emerging from the phantom’s sleeve, indicating that the colossal apparition may actually be a hoax. With characteristic irony, Goya mocks meaningless superstitions and irrational fears.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes

Title

Soldiers Frightened by a Phantom, from Disparates, published as plate 2 in Los Proverbios

Place

Spain (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1816–1819

Medium

Etching and burnished aquatint in brown-black on ivory wove paper

Dimensions

Image: 21.9 × 31.9 cm (8 5/8 × 12 9/16 in.); Plate: 24.5 × 35.2 cm (9 11/16 × 13 7/8 in.); Sheet: 33.2 × 49.7 cm (13 1/8 × 19 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

The Charles Deering Collection

Reference Number

1927.3311

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/44895/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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