Plate 1 from "Los Caprichos": Self-portrait (1799)
Original title: Plate 1 from "Los Caprichos": Self-portrait
kurzbeschreibung
Francisco de Goya y Lucientes opened his etching series 'Los Caprichos' with this 1799 self-portrait. The print, an etching with aquatint, drypoint and burin on paper, stands at the head of 80 satirical images in total.
Description
Goya appears in profile, his head turned slightly to the left, wearing a tall top hat and a shirt with a tie. His gaze feels pensive, almost melancholy. The background remains plain and dark, so the figure stands out clearly. At the bottom is the handwritten note 'Fran. Goya y Lucientes, Pintor'. The etching is executed in greyscale, with fine, variably dense hatching that creates texture and depth.
Context
Goya conceived 'Los Caprichos' as a critical engagement with superstition, social ills and human weaknesses in late 18th-century Spain. The self-portrait as frontispiece underscores his authorship and intellectual ambition. The series appeared in 1799, but soon attracted the attention of the Inquisition, whereupon Goya withdrew the remaining editions.
Impact
Goya's serious, thoughtful gaze creates an atmosphere of self-reflection and critical distance. The dark, reduced surroundings heighten the artist's presence and give the print an introspective, almost sombre mood.
Technique
For this print Goya combined etching, aquatint, drypoint and burin. This mixture allows fine linear details as well as tonal gradations that are crucial to the atmospheric effect. The red border lines of the sheet point to a traditional printing technique that Goya commanded with confidence.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)