Plate 43 from "Los Caprichos": The sleep of reason produces monsters (El sueño de la razon produce monstruos)
Original title: Plate 43 from "Los Caprichos": The sleep of reason produces monsters (El sueño de la razon produce monstruos)
kurzbeschreibung
A man asleep, surrounded by owls and a cat-like creature, occupies plate 43 of Francisco Goya's series 'Los Caprichos' (1799). This etching with aquatint on laid paper exposes the dangers that arise when reason lies dormant.
Description
A figure, head resting on folded arms, sleeps at the center. Several owls and a cat-like being hover around, menacing. A dark, almost black shape reminiscent of a bird or dragon emerges in the background. Gloomy greys dominate, and the light feels eerie. Along the bottom edge runs the title in Latin and English.
Context
Created in 1799 as part of 'Los Caprichos', the plate attacks the superstition, ignorance, and social ills of Goya's day. The edition from which this impression comes was printed in 1908–12. Through aquatint, Goya achieved dramatic contrasts of light and dark.
Impact
Deep shadows and the threatening animals create an oppressive, uncanny mood. The contrast between the sleeping man and the wakeful, aggressive creatures drives home the warning about reason at rest. The image sticks in the mind because it speaks a universal caution against complacency and ignorance.
Technique
An etching with aquatint on laid paper. Aquatint allows fine tonal gradations and deep blacks, exactly what the ghostly atmosphere demands. The plate measures 21.6 x 15.2 cm; the sheet is 30.4 x 21.3 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)