Who painted The Horrors of War: May the Cord Break?

The Horrors of War: May the Cord Break was painted by Francisco de Goya in 1815.

Where can I see The Horrors of War: May the Cord Break?

The Horrors of War: May the Cord Break is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is The Horrors of War: May the Cord Break?

The Horrors of War: May the Cord Break is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

The Horrors of War: May the Cord Break

Francisco de Goya , 1815

The Horrors of War: May the Cord Break is a print by the Romanticist artist Francisco de Goya. It dates from 1815 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1922.593
Credit line: Dudley P. Allen Fund

About this work

Overview

Created around 1815, this print by Francisco de Goya, titled The Horrors of War: May the Cord Break, is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It depicts a tumultuous crowd fleeing in terror, centered on a solitary figure in a long robe who stands atop a heap of bodies, arms outstretched as if directing the chaos.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure’s gesture and the desperate masses convey a scene of imminent disaster, while the inscription Que se rompa la cuerda, Spanish for “May the cord break”, suggests a yearning for the rupture of whatever restraint is holding catastrophe at bay.

Technique & Style

Executed as a print, the work employs stark contrasts and dynamic composition typical of Goya’s later period, emphasizing movement and emotional intensity through exaggerated forms and a dark, urgent palette.

Context

Produced in the aftermath of the Peninsular War, the image reflects the widespread suffering and social upheaval that marked early nineteenth‑century Spain, aligning with the broader Romantic turn toward visceral, emotionally charged representations of conflict.

Legacy

As an early example of Goya’s engagement with war’s brutal realities, the piece anticipates his later, more graphic series on the subject and contributes to the development of Romantic visual language that foregrounds personal anguish and societal turmoil.