Plate 47 from ‘The Disasters of War’ (Los Desastres de la Guerra): ‘This is how it happened.’ (Así sucedió.)

Description

An attack unfolds beside the fittings of a church, bringing violence into a place associated with sanctuary. Francisco Goya’s This Is How It Happened gives the encounter a stark, matter-of-fact title. The figures’ proximity turns the scene into a direct confrontation, with the setting adding another dimension to the violation.

Made in 1810 and published in 1863, the print is plate 47 of The Disasters of War. Etching and worked tonal passages give the action a physical immediacy without offering a heroic resolution. Goya makes the sacred surroundings part of the event rather than a source of protection. The image’s severity lies in its refusal to explain the violence away, allowing the statement beneath it to function as a blunt acknowledgment of what has occurred.