Bury Them and Keep Quiet 18th-19th century

Curator: This is Francisco Goya's "Bury Them and Keep Quiet," an etching that confronts us with stark realities. Editor: It’s immediately unsettling. The contrast between the darkness of the figures and the pale bodies creates a disturbing visual tension. Curator: Indeed. Consider how Goya uses aquatint to achieve these tonal variations, building layers of meaning through light and shadow. Note the posture of the gravediggers at the top; their bodies loom over this landscape of corpses. Editor: They represent not just burial but also a broader cultural silence. This visual language of death and concealment speaks volumes about societal complicity. Curator: Precisely. Goya's brilliance lies in his ability to articulate the unutterable through formal structures and metaphorical weight. Editor: It is a powerful commentary—disturbing yet vital in its historical and symbolic resonance. I'm still struck by how he uses the medium to portray such raw emotion.