There Go the Plucked Ones 18th-19th century

Curator: Let's turn our attention to "There Go the Plucked Ones" by Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, goodness, it’s got such a frantic, surreal energy. Those figures look like they’ve stepped out of a nightmare, all sharp lines and unsettling gestures. Curator: Indeed. The dynamism of the scene is achieved through Goya’s manipulation of line and shadow. Note the contrasting textures – the smooth gowns against the craggy faces. Editor: I wonder, is it just me, or is there a powerful sense of feminine rage bubbling beneath the surface? The central figure with that staff, ready to strike, is just amazing. Curator: The subtext is fascinating. Semiotically, the plucking could represent the stripping away of beauty or innocence, perhaps alluding to societal exploitation. Editor: I love how Goya manages to combine the grotesque with the beautiful, making you question everything you think you know about power and vulnerability. It's haunting. Curator: Quite so. It’s a testament to Goya’s formal genius that it manages to distill such complex societal critiques into such a small, impactful composition. Editor: Exactly. A small piece, but with layers and layers of meaning. Definitely leaves you with more questions than answers, which, I think, is just brilliant.