Francisco de Goya (b. 1746, Fuentedetodos)

The Disasters of War, plate 44: I saw it (Yo lo vi).

1810, etching, drypoint, burin. Sheet 22.2 x 32 cm; plate 16 x 23.5 cm,

National Gallery of Art, Washington, marked as public domain.

Although it has sometimes been claimed that this depiction of a group of people fleeing from the occupying forces of the French army has documentary value, it is more likely that what Goya meant by the caption, “I saw it,” was that this kind of event happened in front of his own eyes. It is one of five representations of the same subject in The Disasters series. The mother carrying a baby on her shoulders while encouraging her other child to follow her recalls the New Testament episode of the Massacre of the Innocents. The fat priest clutching a bag of money reminds us that Goya found bitter humour and satire even when describing a scene of utmost desolation.