They are getting drunk; folio 67 (recto) from the Madrid Album "B"
Original title: They are getting drunk; folio 67 (recto) from the Madrid Album "B"
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many sheets in Madrid B, which feature single figures or pairs, this drawing brings a whole gathering into view. Francisco de Goya y Lucientes set it down in 1796–98 using brush and point of brush, with scraper and carbon black washes. It presents a group of people huddled around a table with glasses in a room.
Description
Several individuals crowd around a table with glasses in an interior. A seated figure holds a glass, another offers a drink, and someone stands behind the group, watching. Grays and whites dominate the monochrome scheme; shadows and bodily forms emerge through brushstrokes and hatching. The lines are dense and precise, emphasizing the texture of clothing and space. The figures' postures feel animated, making their interaction and movements in the room palpable.
Context
Goya worked on Madrid B during his Madrid years, 1796 to 1798, a time when he increasingly engaged with social and moral questions. The sheets in this album were private studies, not intended for public view. They often present everyday scenes but also touch on human weaknesses such as drunkenness. Goya was already employed as court painter, which still allowed him room for his own artistic experiments.
Impact
The restrained color and dense hatching give the sheet an immediate, personal feel. The loose arrangement of figures creates a lively, almost casual atmosphere that captures the moment of drinking without a moralizing finger. The graduated transitions of light and shadow lend the view a quiet yet very exact observational closeness.
Technique
For this drawing, Goya used brush and point of brush with carbon black washes on paper, along with scratch marks he pulled into the still-wet ink with a sharp tool. This allowed him to achieve both soft gradations and firm contours. Washes and hatching together produce a dense texture that makes figures and space stand out clearly.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)