Pøbel (28) 1810 - 1820

This etching, "Pøbel," was created by Francisco Goya. Here, the central symbol is the raised weapon, a primal assertion of power. This gesture—the arm raised, weapon in hand—echoes through history, from ancient victory monuments to revolutionary propaganda. Consider how it differs from Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People,” where the flag, not the weapon, is the focal point, and how this shift changes the message. Goya's woman wielding a weapon above a body is less a symbol of freedom and more one of raw, untamed anger. This recalls the ancient depictions of sacrifice, but here, the ritual is stripped bare, revealing the brutal, immediate violence. The collective memory of such acts, charged with primal emotion, resurfaces in our subconscious, compelling us to recognize the cyclical nature of human conflict. Goya understood this, tapping into our deepest fears and aggressions.