1810-1814, published 1863

What Courage! (Que valor!)

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes

Spanish, 1746 - 1828

Goya’s war subjects focused primarily on anonymous scenes of brutality and hardship rather than the traditional images of celebrated battles or individuals. One exception is this portrayal of Agustina de Aragón, a heroine of the 1808 siege of Zaragoza, the town where Goya was born.

The popular story claims that Agustina, after finding all the Spanish artillerymen dead or wounded, rushes over the bodies to fire a cannon at the French soldiers. Although her features are obscured here she would have been recognized by her actions, and was the only identifiable person portrayed in the series.

This print is among many in which Goya addresses the important role of women in the war, from the hospitals to the battlefields.