The Man in White Francisco de Goya’s Execution of the Defenders of Madrid, 3rd May 1808 holds the instant before the shot. In this slow art meditation, a single lantern on the ground throws its light on a man in a white shirt, arms flung wide, kneeling before a line of soldiers whose faces are turned away. The dead lie in front of him. Those still waiting cover their eyes. Goya gives the victims every feature and the firing squad none. This work can be seen at The Museo Nacional del Prado.
