And it can’t be helped (Y no hai remedio)

This sketch differs noticeably from etching no. 15, And it can't be helped, the work for which it serves as a preparatory study. Unlike other prints in this series, in which Goya remains fairly faithful to his original ideas, in this case the artist went on to make some significant changes in the final print. Although it is difficult to make out here in the drawing exactly what he has sketched, particularly due to the way in which he has worked using large splodges of ink, we can clearly see a man tied to a post with his eyes covered by a blindfold. In front of him we see a figure that disappears in the finished work, holding a crucifix in his hand. Furthermore, the group in the background, the firing squad preparing to execute the two other men tied to posts, is less brightly lit than in the etching; they are little more than a dark shape here.

When thinking about how the image would translate to the print, Goya probably decided to give this group more emphasis within the scene by making the outlines of the other two prisoners in the background bolder and clearer.