Folly of fear
Technical details
Author:
Francisco de Goya y Lucientes
Title:
Folly of fear
Timeline:
1816-1824, published in 1864
Technique:
Aguafortis, burnished aquatint and drypoint
Description
There is war. Soldiers kill and die in a desolate landscape. There is hardly room for life. A poor solitary tree captures the viewer’s gaze and directs it to the knoll, the scene of animosity among men. In the foreground, other soldiers in the process of killing and dying are scattered, fallen and terrified by the giant faceless spectre appearing before them. Huge and bent over, he stretches his invisible arms to the squad, which is unable to resist what it sees. The terrifying figure is a mere scarecrow demonstrating the terror of the unknown.
Location in the museum
You may find this artwork on Floor 2 Goya’s Etchings