Francisco Goya's The Colossus (1808-1812)

(I searched everywhere for information on the Bird Walker, but was unsuccessful. I even emailed Doug Cockell, but did not receive a response. Without this information, I feel I could not give a full explanation of the painting. I have found another painting and will share my analysis.)

Francisco Goya’s The Colossus (1808-1812) is an exceedingly interesting painting. The painting is occupied by a colossal sized man who is among the mountains. His legs are hidden up to his thighs so it cannot be determined if the giant is walking or standing. Clouds surround him which gives an estimate of how tall he is. His fists are raised in a boxing stance and his eyes are closed. The giant occupies the upper two thirds of the painting. The final, lower third is occupied by a valley where people and cattle run in all different directions. What was Goya trying to say when he painted this? The answer to this question is the reason for my appreciation of this painting.

Goya painted The Colossus some time from 1808-1812. The Peninsular War was being fought during this time. The French invaded Spain in 1808 and the war continued until 1814. Goya used this painting to voice, as a Spaniard, his view of the war. The giant is in an aggressive, fighting stance, and represents the Spanish population emerging to confront the Napoleonic invasion. Why is the giant’s eyes closed? The closed eyes represent blind violence. The giant looks almost inhuman with his eyes closed. He will attack anyone and harm anything with the goal of spreading death and destruction. The scattering people and animals in the valley help emphasize the giant’s power. They are all fearful which proves to the viewer that this giant means business. This idea is exactly what Goya was trying to emphasize when painting this. In painting this image, Goya was basically saying, “Watch out Napoleon! Spain is like this colossal giant. We will destroy and kill anyone who opposes us and act with blind violence. Beware!”

My interest in this painting is grounded in the ‘universal’ idea of using a painting or image to illustrate an idea. Goya used this painting to explain his view on The Peninsular War. He wanted to show his Spanish people what he thought of his country, and how they could rise up against the French. One must research the contingent factors in order to fully appreciation this painting. Without knowing that this painting was completed during The Peninsular War, the viewer would not recognize that Goya used his art to illustrate his view of the time.

(On an unrelated note, art experts have recently questioned whether The Colossus was actually painted by Goya. It may have been painted by one of his assistants. Please read this article if you are interested: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/is-goya-masterp.html-just-a-colossal-mistake-808645.html .)