They Have Flown 18th-19th century

Curator: This is Francisco Goya’s “They Have Flown,” an intriguing print from his Disasters of War series. Editor: My first impression? It's hauntingly graceful. She looks like she's gliding, but the figures below… they seem crushed, burdened. Curator: It's potent imagery, isn't it? The woman, almost floating above these struggling figures, embodies a kind of liberation or escape, but at what cost? Editor: Exactly! It makes me wonder about who she’s leaving behind, what’s fueling her ascent. Is it triumph or selfishness? Both, maybe? Curator: The title, "Volavérunt", adds another layer. It speaks to a vanishing act, perhaps the loss of innocence or moral compass in times of conflict. Editor: It’s a grim dance of power and vulnerability. She's almost angelic, yet perched on what appears to be human suffering. It really messes with your head. Curator: Goya uses the grotesque here, almost mocking expectations of purity or heroism in his depiction of war. Editor: Leaving you with that unsettling feeling, that the higher we soar, the harder someone else falls. Pretty bleak, but unforgettable.