A Procession of Flagellants
Encyclopedia
A Procession of Flagellants (Procesión de disciplinantes, or Procesión de flagelantes) is an oil-on-panel painting produced by Francisco de Goya between 1812 and 1819. In the foreground is a procession of Roman Catholic men dressed in white, wearing pointed hats and whipping their bared backs in penitence. Their backs are bleeding and they pull over-life-size statues of Nuestra Señora dela Soledad
, the Ecce Homo
and the Crucifixion of Christ. Other devotees, who are kneeling and wearing black hoods, line the route. On the right a man is impaled and all are carrying banners, crosses and lamps.
, The Madhouse
and The Bullfight. This series illustrates aspects of Spanish life which liberals (of whom Goya was then one) wished to reform but whose reform was opposed by Ferdinand VII of Spain's absolutist policy. A common feature of the series is the presence of cruelty, here shown by the blood flowing out onto the white garment of the central figure, and two contrasting zones of light and dark - here, all the figures in the foreground are in the light, well-characterised and individualised, but the background is left as an anonymous crowd of the faithful, dimly lit under a cloudy blue sky. The two zones are divided by a dark wall, possibly symbolising the heavy weight of religion.
The series played an important part in creating the legend of 'Black Spain'
. It does not go beyond the usual point of view on the Spanish mindset of its era among most other Europeans, interested in Spain as an exotic and picturesque land, an interest first aroused by the French contact with Spain that led to the Peninsular War
. Paintings such as these, with a terrible and romantic
aura, inspired several later prints.
Nuestra Señora dela Soledad de Porta Vaga
Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, also called "Reina de Cavite" and "La Virgen de la Soledad", is the patroness of Cavite City.-Description:...
, the Ecce Homo
Ecce Homo
Ecce Homo are the Latin words used by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate translation of the , when he presents a scourged Jesus Christ, bound and crowned with thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his Crucifixion. The original Greek is Ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄνθρωπος . The King James Version translates the phrase...
and the Crucifixion of Christ. Other devotees, who are kneeling and wearing black hoods, line the route. On the right a man is impaled and all are carrying banners, crosses and lamps.
Analysis
The painting belongs to a series which also includes The Inquisition TribunalThe Inquisition Tribunal
The Inquisition Tribunal or The Inquisition Auto de fe is an oil-on-panel painting produced by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya between 1812 and 1819. It shows an Auto de fe, or accusation of heretics, by the tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition, being held inside a church...
, The Madhouse
The Madhouse
The Madhouse or Asylum is an oil-on-panel painting by Francisco de Goya. He produced it between 1812 and 1819...
and The Bullfight. This series illustrates aspects of Spanish life which liberals (of whom Goya was then one) wished to reform but whose reform was opposed by Ferdinand VII of Spain's absolutist policy. A common feature of the series is the presence of cruelty, here shown by the blood flowing out onto the white garment of the central figure, and two contrasting zones of light and dark - here, all the figures in the foreground are in the light, well-characterised and individualised, but the background is left as an anonymous crowd of the faithful, dimly lit under a cloudy blue sky. The two zones are divided by a dark wall, possibly symbolising the heavy weight of religion.
The series played an important part in creating the legend of 'Black Spain'
Black Legend
The Black Legend refers to a style of historical writing that demonizes Spain and in particular the Spanish Empire in a politically motivated attempt to morally disqualify Spain and its people, and to incite animosity against Spanish rule...
. It does not go beyond the usual point of view on the Spanish mindset of its era among most other Europeans, interested in Spain as an exotic and picturesque land, an interest first aroused by the French contact with Spain that led to the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. Paintings such as these, with a terrible and romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
aura, inspired several later prints.