Blow 18th-19th century

Curator: Here we have Goya’s unsettling print, titled "Blow," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: There's a raw, almost brutal quality to the line work. The etching technique creates a stark contrast between light and shadow, enhancing the grotesque imagery. Curator: Absolutely. Goya often used printmaking to address societal ills and political corruption. This work, like many from "Los Caprichos," critiques superstition and the abuse of power, depicting an act performed to supposedly cure children, but looking like it's something far more sinister. Editor: The figures are rendered with a deliberate roughness, emphasizing their vulnerability and the grim reality of the scene. It's all about the materiality of the line, the biting of the acid on the plate to convey a visceral sense of injustice. Curator: True. It is a condemnation of oppressive social structures and beliefs. It evokes a deep sense of unease, forcing us to confront uncomfortable truths about humanity's capacity for cruelty and exploitation, particularly of the most vulnerable. Editor: It's a powerful reminder of how artistic processes can be harnessed to make visible some of the most disturbing corners of the human experience.