Punctual Folly
Original title: 'Punctual Folly' from the 'Disparates' (Follies / Irrationalities. Plate B)
kurzbeschreibung
This sheet belongs to Goya's Disparates, his series of follies, and dates from around 1815–19. A woman on horseback is the central figure: the animal balances on a tightrope arranged like a staircase, while a crowd presses in behind the rider. The print was made in etching, aquatint and drypoint.
Description
An elegantly dressed woman sits on a white horse that stands on silk stretched into a stairlike span; in her hand she holds a storey of a building. Behind the pair a dense public crowds together, their poses and faces ranging from delight to worry. Muted light falls on rider and rope, heightening the tension. The arrangement draws the eye toward the woman, with the audience left behind her as a backdrop.
Context
The Disparates belong to Goya's late years, a time marked by the Napoleonic Wars and by political unrest in Spain. The plates were not published until after his death, which underlines their critical and enigmatic character. Social folly is a recurring theme in Goya, handled satirically and with fantastical inventions.
Impact
The precarious balancing act sets up a tension between artistic virtuosity and the possibility of a fall. Muted light and the reactions of the crowd let fascination and unease stand side by side. The surreal-seeming idea behind the image stays unsettling and lingers long after viewing.
Technique
The sheet was printed in a combination of etching, aquatint and drypoint on Japan paper. This allows fine lines, soft tonal gradations and a differentiated handling of light. The smooth surface of the paper carries the detailed rendering of figures and setting.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)