This is How it Happened 18th-19th century

Curator: Before us, we have Francisco Goya’s print, "This is How it Happened," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels claustrophobic, doesn’t it? Like a nightmare glimpsed through a dirty window, all scratchy lines and oppressive shadows. Curator: Indeed. Goya masterfully employs aquatint to create this haunting atmosphere, emphasizing the formal aspects of contrast and texture to convey a sense of despair. The figures seem trapped, both by the railing and by their circumstances. Editor: It’s the powerlessness that gets to me. That kneeling figure—utterly defeated. I bet the artist wants to expose the human cost of conflict in the world. Curator: Precisely. Goya uses the formal language of printmaking to critique power structures. Editor: It makes you wonder what happened here. Curator: Goya invites us to reflect on the structures that allow such atrocities. Editor: Powerful stuff. Even now, it gives me chills.