What Bravery! 18th-19th century

Editor: So this is Goya's "What Bravery!", it's a print, and the title feels very ironic considering the carnage depicted. What's your interpretation of the woman's role here? Curator: Well, the "bravery" is certainly complicated. Consider the historical context: the Peninsular War. Is she a symbol of resistance, or is she implicated in the cycle of violence? Look at her positioning atop the bodies, wielding the cannon. Editor: So you're saying it's not a straightforward heroic image? Curator: Exactly. It questions who gets to be brave and at what cost. Is her agency empowering, or does it perpetuate the brutality enacted on marginalized bodies? What do you think? Editor: It really makes you think about the glorification of war and who is erased in the narrative. Thanks!