Home/Symbols/Firing squad as faceless mechanismFiring squad as faceless mechanism SymbolismAnonymous, regimented state power; violence carried out by a system rather than individuals.Common ThemesThe divine & the sacredTyranny & oppressionPropaganda & ideologyFate vs. free willMedium reflexivity (art about art)Nationalism & patriotismWar & conflictClass & inequalityChristian iconographyThe sublime & aweArtworks Featuring This SymbolThe Third of May 1808Francisco Goya (1814)Francisco Goya’s The Third of May 1808 turns a specific reprisal after Madrid’s uprising into a universal indictment of <strong>state violence</strong>. A lantern’s harsh glare isolates a civilian who raises his arms in a <strong>cruciform</strong> gesture as a faceless firing squad executes prisoners, transforming reportage into <strong>modern anti-war testimony</strong> <sup>[1]</sup><sup>[2]</sup>.
