In this paper, we will discuss Goya and hi imagery of war. We will explore how Goya’s art and his belief were influenced by Napoleon’s invasion of Spain. War was an important theme for Goya and we will look at works of his that were done during and as a reaction to Napoleon’s invasion. As a way to understand the context of how Goya’s attitude toward art and the world changed during the Napoleonic Invasion, we will explore first Goya’s life leading up to these critical years. During this exploration we will try to point out key elements of his style as a way to see how it changed over the course of his life as an artist. We will see that the Napoleonic invasion was critical in Goya’s intellectual and artistic development as a painter.
