Plate 22 from "Los Caprichos": Poor little girls! (Pobrecitas!)
Original title: Plate 22 from "Los Caprichos": Poor little girls! (Pobrecitas!)
kurzbeschreibung
From Goya's Los Caprichos, the 80-print series published in 1799, plate 22 is titled Pobrecitas! and brings four women into view in a darkened room. Like the rest of the series, it takes a satirical look at the social conditions of Spain.
Description
Four women are dispersed across the dark space: two crowd together in the foreground, moving; a third stands motionless farther back, while a child appears in the middle ground. The women's plain garments point to the eighteenth century. Light from above picks out faces and fabrics. Black and gray tones dominate, and the layout feels asymmetrical.
Context
Between 1797 and 1799 Goya worked on the Caprichos, attacking superstition, prostitution, and the ills of Spanish society. Within the series, plate 22 is one of the prints that address poverty and the exploitation of women. In 1799 the series appeared as an album of 80 etchings; soon afterward it was withdrawn because of its sharpness.
Impact
Gloomy mood and harsh light create a sense of oppression. The women are presented without flattery, which hits directly and unsettles, strengthening the print's satirical edge.
Technique
For this plate Goya used etching and strongly brushed aquatint, producing fine lines alongside deep shadows. It was printed on paper, and the plate measures 21.5 x 14.9 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)