The Colossus
c. 1808-1812 Museo del Prado
About this artwork
This powerful, dark painting features a colossal giant rising behind a range of hills, overlooking a panicking crowd of people and fleeing animals. Long attributed to Goya, recent scholarship has occasionally suggested it may be the work of his student Asensio Juliá.
Did you know?
While traditionally attributed to Francisco Goya, the painting's authorship has been a subject of intense debate among scholars. Some researchers have argued that the brushwork and stylistic choices point toward Goya's disciple, Asensio Juliá, though it remains one of the most iconic images associated with Goya's late period. The looming giant is often interpreted as an allegorical representation of the horrors and instability of the Peninsular War.
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The Colossus
Francisco Goya, c. 1808-1812
