Goya's the Third of May, 1808.

Goya’s the Third of May, 1808.

The painting done by Goya about the execution of the Madrid men by Napoleon’s soldiers tells quite a story. There are different types of lines present in the panting. There are contour lines, which give the outline of the painting and the particular features in the painting. There are the mass gesture lines, which are used to show the man surrendering, the men pointing the guns, and so on. Goya has also used actual and implied lines. The actual lines have been used to bring out the hill. The implied lines have been used to bring out the blood on the floor, amongst other features.

There are both the geometric and the organic shapes. The geometric shapes have been used to bring out the heads of the men in the paintings, the pen windows in the building and the building itself. These shapes are triangles, rectangles, ovals, and so on. Examples of organic shapes are used to bring out the blood on the ground, the pointing of the guns, the man surrendering, the men hiding, amongst others.

There is implied and actual mass. However, the one used most in this painting is the implied mass. This has been brought out by using different shades of colors. We can see the mass of the hill, the open windows, the mass of the people, and so on.

Space is created by using lines and the different shades of color and different colors. The two dimensional space has been portrayed by showing the ground of the scene, the hill and the building on the background. The three dimensional space has been used by using overlapping lines and dark colors. Black has been used to show the sky on top and behind the building. Having the hill partly cover the building brings out an overlapping effect. Painting the building gray and using bright colors to bring out the people at the forefront, brings out the diminishing and the linear perspective. Someone seems to watch the scene from the side. This brings an atmospheric perspective. Painting the hill look taller then the rest of the features in the scene brings an aerial perspective.

Time and motion are evident. It is during the night. The use of different shades of color brings this out. Using an almost white color to show light coming from the lantern and then slowly darkening it brings out the time. The motion is implied. Using mass gesture lines and organic shapes brings this out. The blood oozing from the dead man on the ground, the man surrendering, the soldiers pointing guns ready to fire, greatly shows implied motion.

As mentioned earlier, the illusion of light is created by using different colors and using shades too. They bring out the tone, contrasts and as a medium. Black is used to show darkness. White is used near the lantern to show bright light and then darker colors are used further away from the lantern in order to show a diminishing effect of the vanishing light.

As constantly mentioned, color has been used to bring out different things and to bring the painting to life. It has been used to show the time, black to show darkness and white to bring out the light. It has been used to bring out feelings and emotions. Red has been used to bring out the deathly feeling. It has also been used to create distance.

Different shades of color bring out the texture. However, the texture used here is just implied. For example, the browns reds and yellows have been used to bring out the texture of the hill.

Unity has been created by using different shades of colors. The colors become darker as we move away fro the forefront and into the background. Goya uses bright colors to in the front and middle ground, and then darkens them as he goes into the background. This brings unity and variety too.

Balance has been created by ensuring every part of the painting has a feature. The painting is symmetrical. There are features at the front, middle and background. The men on both sides of the painting make it symmetrical.

The focal point of this painting is the men being shot. In fact, the artist has painted white the shirt of the man surrendering. This is to show the light on him from the lantern and to put match emphasis on him therefore attracting the eye first. The building at the back of the building is quite subordinated. Grey has been used on it and the hill partly covers it. Lines have been used to create path for the eyes. For example, there is a line that seems to separate the good people from the bad ones, the good ones being the ones being executed and the bad ones being the executors.

Color has been greatly used to create contrast. For example, the artist has used white on the man surrendering and using dark brown and other darker colors on the executors. The light seems brighter on the man being executed and darker on the men executing.

There is repetition and rhythm. Dark colors have been used on the men holding guns as they have been used to show darkness and at the background. White has been used to show light from the lantern, as it has been used on the surrendering man’s shirt.

There is proportion and scale. There are as many men on both sides. There are features n the front, middle and background. Bright colors have been used on the parts that the artist wants to attract attention and darker colors on the parts he wants to distract the audience.