The nineteenth century was a period of upheaval in Spain, marked by The Peninsular War (the war of independence). The struggle was depicted by artists from both Spain and Britain.
Painter and printmaker Francisco de Goya, for example, depicted British military hero Wellington. In contrast are Goya's depictions of the horrors from the front line; Goya's series of prints entitled Disasters of War concentrated on the brutality of conflict and individual cruelty rather than the glory of war.
Just as Goya left Spain to spend his final years in France, Sir David Wilkie arrived in the country and found fresh inspiration in the works of a range of artists including Velázquez. Though renowned for his genre scenes of Scottish life, the trip resulted in Wilkie exploring more ambitious historical subjects and culminated in a series exploring aspects of the Peninsula War. These dramatic paintings illustrating Spain's war against the French created a sensation and were soon acquired by George IV.
