Barbarians! 18th-19th century

Curator: Goya's etching, "Barbarians!" presents a scene of stark brutality. I feel a chill just looking at it, like a suppressed scream hanging in the air. Editor: Indeed. The etching process itself is central here: acid biting into metal to create an image of violence, a fitting metaphor, wouldn't you say, for the barbarity depicted? Curator: It's almost as if the very material is screaming the truth of what it means to be human! Editor: Look closer, and you will notice the mass production of these images means they are serving as a crucial form of propaganda. Curator: Yes, the mass distribution. I see the potential for the image to affect thousands; that is what gives it meaning. Editor: Precisely, and with each print, the socio-political impact is amplified. Curator: After our discussion, I see the image as an unfortunate truth, and a critical commentary on production during wartime. Editor: And that's the brutal reality of art: it makes us think about the means of production behind war and suffering.