They Don't Want To 18th-19th century

Curator: This is "They Don't Want To" by Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, part of his series, "The Disasters of War," residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s stark. The rapid etching conveys immediate chaos and tension, like a fleeting moment captured brutally. Curator: Indeed. Note the hunched figure on the right, almost witch-like, brandishing something—perhaps urging the couple to separate. It speaks to societal pressures and failed relationships. Editor: Or perhaps the etching process itself mirrors the social pressures; the acid biting into the metal, mirroring the corrosive forces acting on these figures. The very materiality implies conflict. Curator: An intriguing point. The skeletal architecture in the background evokes a ruined world—a symbol of societal collapse, forcing unnatural unions. Editor: And yet, despite the supposed desperation, there's a strange beauty in the way Goya uses the medium to evoke such raw emotion. Curator: It’s a chilling reminder that art can stem from and depict the darkest corners of human experience. Editor: It makes me consider the socio-economic conditions that allowed Goya to create these images, and how those conditions shaped the narrative.