Plate 72 from ‘The Disasters of War’ (Los Desastres de la Guerra): ‘The Consequences.’ (Las resultas.)

Description

Winged creatures hover over a prone figure, bringing the language of aftermath into a world of predatory fantasy. Francisco Goya’s The Consequences makes suffering appear to continue beyond the visible human conflict. The body below becomes the focus of a gathering whose activity suggests appetite rather than sympathy.

Made in 1814–15 and published in 1863, plate 72 of The Disasters of War belongs to the series’ later, more allegorical imagery. The etched scene gives the creatures a tangible presence while keeping their meaning open to political and moral interpretation. The title connects them to what has come before, making the aftermath another form of danger. Its power lies in the persistence of vulnerability, where the end of one ordeal does not guarantee freedom from those ready to exploit its consequences.