Plate 60 from ‘The Disasters of War’ (Los Desastres de la Guerra): ‘There is no one to help them.’ (No hay quien los socorra.)

Description

In There is no one to help them, people lie weakened on the ground while a standing figure occupies the same bleak space without resolving their distress. Francisco Goya’s There Is No One to Help Them brings the experience of famine close through bodies that can no longer sustain themselves. The lack of effective assistance becomes as important as the visible suffering.

Made in 1811–12 and published in 1863, the print is plate 60 of The Disasters of War. Etching and burnished aquatint establish the figures with a gravity that resists picturesque treatment. Goya’s caption directs attention to the failure of care surrounding the victims. The image’s emotional weight comes from that absence, showing people whose needs are unmistakable yet remain unanswered, and making the distance between seeing suffering and alleviating it painfully clear.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Goya collection.