May the Cord Break 18th-19th century

Curator: This is Francisco Goya's etching, "May the Cord Break," part of his Disasters of War series, now residing here at Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? Unease. The figure teetering, the crowd below… it feels like a precarious balance about to shatter. Curator: Goya created these works reflecting on the Peninsular War, and this one shows a figure seemingly about to fall from a tightrope of authority, perhaps suggesting a loss of control. Editor: There's this tension—like watching someone walk a tightrope knowing they're doomed to fail. The etching itself has a desperate energy about it. Curator: Goya uses aquatint to create dramatic tonal contrasts, highlighting the chaos and brutality of conflict, shaping our interpretation through stark visual language. Editor: Visually arresting, it’s a work that invites introspection on the fragility of power and the human cost of its collapse, resonating even now. Curator: Absolutely, and thinking about its place within the Disasters of War series makes one consider how the narratives of conflict continue. Editor: Exactly, and for me, it is the timeless unease about those structures. It makes you want to act.