Hunter Raising his Gun 1812 - 1823

Curator: There’s a simmering tension in this small ink wash drawing by Goya, "Hunter Raising his Gun," from the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. It feels very immediate. Editor: I agree. The monochromatic palette lends itself to a starkness—almost like a surveillance image. Goya captures a moment pregnant with potential violence. Curator: I see it more as the anticipation before a hunt, that breath-held moment before action, the almost primal focus. It’s more internal, about the hunter’s mindset. Editor: But isn't hunting itself an act of violence? Goya lived through tumultuous times; perhaps this embodies societal anxieties about power and dominance. Is this a critique? Curator: Maybe it’s both. I'm left to ponder the psychological drama and social implications. Editor: Precisely. This little drawing speaks volumes about the human condition and the systems we inhabit.