Recent events in Iraq reminded me of these paintings; I am not trying to draw historical parallels.


The Third of May 1808, Francisco de Goya. The picture shows French soldiers shoot a group of defenseless civilians rounded up in Madrid after an uprising against the French occupying army.  


The Execution of Emperor Maximilian, Edouard Manet. Maximilian was a puppet installed by Napoleon III to rule Mexico; after the withdrawal of the French army, he was executed by Mexican nationalists. In Manet's painting, the executioners wear French uniforms.