Against the Common Good, plate 71 from The Disasters of War

Art Historical Context

**Against the Common Good (plate 71 from *The Disasters of War*)**Francisco Goya's haunting etching captures the raw brutality of war in this plate from his seminal series *The Disasters of War* (1810–1820). Created amid the Peninsular War (1808–1814), when Napoleon's forces invaded Spain, Goya the unimaginable horrors of conflict, famine, and political repression. This work, titled *Contra el bien general* ("Against the Common Good"), exemplifies unflinching critique of violence that undermines society, blending stark realism with emotional intensity characteristic of his late Romantic style. Printed using etching and burnishing on luxurious ivory wove paper with gilt edges, the technique allowed Goya to achieve dramatic contrasts—sharp lines for figures etched deeply into the plate, softened by burnishing for subtle tones evoking despair. Measuring just 14.7 × 19.3 cm, its intimate scale draws viewers into intimate scenes of human suffering, making the personal toll of war palpable. Though etched around 1815–1820, the series wasn't published until 1863, over two decades after Goya's death, due to Spain's repressive climate. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, this piece remains a powerful testament to Goya's genius as a witness to history, urging reflection on war's enduring scars.

About the Artist

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes · 1746–1828

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was born on March 30, 1746, in the small Aragonese village of Fuendetodos, Spain, to José Benito de Goya, a master gilder, and Gracia de Lucientes. The fourth of six children in a modest lower-middle-class family, Goya received a basic education before beginning his artistic training at age 14 under the local painter José Luzán y Martínez in Zaragoza, where he sp...