Three men digging c. 1812 - 1820

Here we see Francisco de Goya’s drawing of three men digging, made with sepia ink. The act of digging, a primal struggle against the earth, resonates with ancient symbolic weight. Consider the figure wielding the pickaxe. His stance, a dynamic arc of exertion, echoes poses of laborers seen in medieval illuminated manuscripts and even classical depictions of mythical strongmen. This motif of the straining worker, burdened yet resilient, persists through time. In ancient Egyptian art, we find similar postures in tomb paintings, portraying laborers toiling in the afterlife. But here, Goya imbues this age-old image with a modern unease. The faces are obscured, devoid of individuality, suggesting a dehumanization through labor. This anonymity evokes a sense of collective suffering, perhaps a reflection on the social unrest of Goya’s time. It becomes a stark reminder of the cyclical nature of human toil and the enduring search for meaning amidst hardship.