Thou Who Canst Not 18th-19th century

Curator: This is Francisco Goya's print, "Thou Who Canst Not," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It immediately strikes me as a study in futility. Editor: Yes, there's a grimness in its depiction. The etching shows figures struggling to hoist a donkey, or rather, two donkeys, onto their backs. The strain is palpable. Curator: Absolutely, and Goya was masterly in the aquatint process. Think of the acid biting into the copper plate, creating those shadowed areas that really amplify the sense of struggle. Editor: The figures and the donkeys become a symbol of oppressive burdens. It reflects the social inequalities of the time, doesn't it? Where some are forced to bear impossible loads. Curator: Goya constantly questioned the structures of power. For me, the means of printmaking itself becomes a commentary on mass dissemination and critique. Editor: True. The print medium allowed Goya to widely share his views on the social inequities he witnessed. It makes the image even more powerful. Curator: It’s a brutal piece in many ways, but also a sophisticated use of the print medium. Editor: An enduring testament to the burdens of inequality and the power of art to challenge them.