Which Spanish painter is known for The Third of May 1808?

Francisco Goya is the Spanish painter known for The Third of May 1808.

Goya completed the large oil painting in 1814 to commemorate Spanish resistance to Napoleon’s armies during the occupation of Madrid in 1808. The scene depicts the aftermath of the uprising: French soldiers aim their rifles at Spanish civilians gathered for execution. A brightly lit central figure raises his arms, making him the emotional focus of the composition.

The painting was commissioned by Spain’s provisional government alongside its companion, The Second of May 1808, which shows the earlier uprising. Together, the works connect the violence of the revolt with its brutal consequences. Goya’s painting does not present battle as heroic spectacle; instead, it emphasizes fear, vulnerability, and the human cost of war.

The work is often regarded as one of the first great modern paintings because it breaks with conventional war imagery and traditional religious formulas. Its influence extends far beyond Spain: it helped inspire Édouard Manet, Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, and the modern peace symbol. The painting is now held at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it remains one of Goya’s defining masterpieces.