The Third of May 1808
1814 · Oil on canvas · Museo del Prado, Madrid
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About this work
- Artist
- Francisco Goya (1746–1828)
- Year
- 1814
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Original size
- 268 × 347 cm
- Collection
- Museo del Prado, Madrid
- Movement
- Romanticism
A faceless firing squad of French soldiers levels its rifles at a group of Madrid citizens on the hill of Príncipe Pío, lit by a single square lantern on the ground. One man in a white shirt throws his arms wide; others cover their faces, pray or lie dead in their own blood. Goya painted it in 1814, after the French had left Spain, offering to commemorate the uprising of May 1808 and its brutal reprisal the following dawn. It is paired with The Second of May 1808, which shows the street fighting. There are no heroes in uniform and no classical composure; the victims are ordinary people and the killers are a machine. The painting has been in the Prado since 1834 and directly influenced Manet and Picasso.
This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
A grave picture lit by one lantern, better in a study, office or serious hallway than a family room. Black frame on a dark wall at 24×16, hung alone; it does not belong on a gallery wall of lighter work.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Romanticism painting
- Era
- 19th century (1814)
- Orientation
- Landscape
- Mood
- grand
- Rooms
- hallway or entryway, study or library, home office, living room, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 24×16. Prints at 18×12, 24×16 in — 18×12 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 24×16 above a console or sideboard.
Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — black suits the deep tones of this period; natural wood lightens it.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is The Third of May 1808 in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was The Third of May 1808 painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
An exhibition poster
The same artwork as a gallery exhibition poster — title, artist & date typeset beneath the image on a soft ground.
The full-bleed edition
The painting printed edge to edge, filling the whole sheet (very slightly cropped to fit).





















