They Pare 1799

"They Pare" (1799), a private collection etching by Francisco de Goya (1746-1828), is a work from the series "The Disasters of War". Goya’s artwork depicts a scene of gruesome violence with a character wielding shears in a manner that is reminiscent of a butcher. The scene alludes to the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars, which Goya witnessed firsthand and expressed through the stark and unsettling imagery of his etchings. The use of dark tones and graphic detail in "They Pare" was characteristic of Goya's later work, capturing the chaos and brutality of his time.