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.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes
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Title
- Soldiers Frightened by a Phantom, from Disparates, published as plate 2 in Los Proverbios
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Place
- Spain (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- Made 1816–1819
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Medium
- Etching and burnished aquatint in brown-black on ivory wove paper
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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.)
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Credit Line
- The Charles Deering Collection
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Reference Number
- 1927.3311
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/44895/manifest.json