“The Third of May, 1808” (El Tres de Mayo, 1808), oil on canvas, 106 inches × 137 inches) was painted by Francisco de Goya in 1814 depicting a rebellion by Madrid citizens against the French rule and its repercussions in the form of swift and brutal crackdown in which nearly 3,500 Spanish citizens lost their lives while Napoleon troops lost 1,000 men.

The painting is considered as one of the great artworks of all times and has been regarded as the world’s first modern canvas reminding of Leonardo’s ‘Battle of Anghiari’ and along with Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ it remains one of the most troubling images ever created to present the atrocities of war. Goya is also appreciated for the dazzling change of Christian iconography and moving portrayal of cruelty. The central figure of the canvas is a poor worker who takes the place of the crucified Christ and sacrificing himself. It is displayed at the Prado Museum, Madrid.— E.J.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, December 6th, 2015