Semiotic Plane

Name of the artist: Francisco de Goya

Title of the work: The Third of May, 1808

Year the work was created: 1814

Dimension: 268 x 347cm

Technique: Oil on Canvas

Location of the work: Museo del Prado, Madrid

Iconic Plane

Type of Art: Representational Art

Source of Subject: History

Kind of Subject: History and Landscape

 There is only one man who was wearing white shirt.

 He was raising his hand in a V shape.
 Expressive use of light, shadow, and color.
 A square lantern was placed on the ground between the two groups throws a dramatic
light on the scene.
 He has stigmata-like marks on his right hand.
 A row of French soldiers aiming their guns at a Spanish man.
 A pile of dead bodies lies at his feet, streaming blood.
  The troops faces cannot be seen from the viewer.
 A monk, bowed in prayer, might soon be among the dead.
 Some of the townspeople have a clear view of their faces and find themselves staring
down the barrel of their guns.
 Powerful emotions.
 Most of man covers their eyes to avoid watching the death that they know awaits them.

Contextual Plane

The painting represents the battle at Medina del Rio Seco in Spain. On May 3, these Spanish
freedom fighters were rounded up and massacred by the French. Their blood literally ran
through the streets of Madrid and napoleon's troops lost 1,000 men, while the Spanish lost
3,500 in the total of 21,000 troops. Even though Goya had shown French sympathies in the
past, the slaughter of his countrymen and the horrors of war made a profound impression on
the artist. Goya's painting reveals the fear and suffering of the Spanish, while Napoleon's troops
show no mercy. He made horrible painting. The Third of May, 1808 in Madrid is acclaimed as
one of the great paintings of all time, and has even been called the world’s first modern
painting.

The Man in White Shirt

The Man in the White Shirt is a Christ figure. His stance is similar to Christ on the Cross. The
man is a martyr for the rest of the town, which is why his white cloths are not soiled. He is
wearing a clean, white shirt, which is a significant difference compared to the other Spaniards.
The town’s people are wearing dirty, blood stained cloths of dark colors.

The man with raised arms at the focal point of the composition has often been compared to a
crucified Christ, and a similar pose is sometimes seen in depictions of Christ's nocturnal Agony
in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Man has his arms spread in a "V" which represents peace.

The Dead

The people who have already been shoot have casually been tossed aside to make room for the
next victims. The monk preys over their dead bodies, perhaps in an effort to give them some
peace. The man with his arms spread in a "V" looks pained, even in death. He also is asking for
peace from the troops.

The Soldiers
The darkness of the painting shows impending doom, which is brought by the troops and any
regard for live is quickly cut down by the troops firing squad.

The Lantern

The lantern at the center of the canvas references a traditional attribute of the Roman soldiers
who arrested Christ in the garden.