Murio la Verdad!

Picture Rights

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Print Title

Murio la Verdad!

Accession Number

1949.12.79

Artist

Goya Lucientes, Francisco Jose de, 1746-1828

Date Created

1863

Edition

1st

Print/Plate Number

79

Description

Plate 79 of Desastres de la Guerra is Murio la Verdad. The print centers on a woman laying on the ground, her breasts exposed, and light emanating from her. The light is portrayed with alternating swatches of light and dark. A crowd stands over the woman, looking down at her body. The central figure standing over her is dressed as a pontiff, wearing the large hat, as well as the robes of the holy office. His face is darkened by shadow, and his hands are raised over the woman. Surrounding him is an interesting gaggle of figures. The figures on the left of the pontiff are wearing hoods, and one wields a shovel, positioned in a motion that looks like he is burying the woman. On the right, a woman, who is sitting down, covers her eyes with her arm. This woman appears to be blinded by the radiance of the central woman, or is covering her eyes from the horrors that are befalling her. Behind the pontiff, a group of people is seen. The group has a variety of expressions, but most of the faces are not detailed enough to make out. The crowd is both viewing the body of the central woman, and going about it’s day. There is not an enraptured audience as we see in Si Resucitara?. This piece creates an interesting companion piece to Si Resucitara?. The prints share similar thematic qualities, specifically a central female figure laying on the ground as a gathered crowd surrounds her. The title, Murio la Verdad translates to “Truth has died”, likely meaning that the central woman is Truth. Given this, we can reasonably extrapolate that the central woman in Si Resucitara? is also Truth.

Edition Provenance

The print was originally acquired by the Cincinnati Art Museum in 1949, as a gift of the donor Emily Poole. The prints were originally owned by Alan C. Poole, the brother of Emily Poole, and the prints were donated as Emily was in charge of Alan’s estate. The prints originally came bound in a book, and were unbound from the book in 1960, by workers at the Cincinnati Art Museum. The prints are known to be first edition, which were printed in the workshop of Laurenciano Potenciano for the Real Academia in Madrid and completed in March 1863. The gap between when the print was printed, and when it was obtained by Alan Poole is unknown, and is unlikely to be resolved, as those knowledgeable with the estate of Alan Poole have passed away.

Condition

For shorthand, the print will be split into 9 sections, going from Top (T), Center (C) , Bottom (B), and Left (L), center (C) , Right (R) . There is an evident plate mark, as well as evidence of the print being bound into a book. The evidence of binding is on the edge of the left side of the print. The plate was not cleaned before printing, and there is a strong sepia tone throughout the image.

Holding Institution

Cincinnati Art Museum

Owned By

Cincinnati Art Museum (Cincinnati, Ohio; United States). (1949-Present).

Alan C. Poole, donated by Emily Poole. (Cincinnati, Ohio; United States). (Unknown - 1949).

Workshop of Laurenciano Potenciano (Real Academia, Madrid; Spain). (1863 - Unknown).

Item