Plate 11 from "Los Caprichos": Lads Making Ready (Muchachos al Avío)
Original title: Plate 11 from "Los Caprichos": Lads Making Ready (Muchachos al Avío)
kurzbeschreibung
Plate 11 from 'Los Caprichos', made in 1799, presents four young men in a rural setting. This etching with aquatint and burin belongs to a series of 80 prints in which Goya exposes social and political ills with biting irony.
Description
Four men are arranged horizontally across an untamed landscape. Two have seated themselves on the ground, one puffs on a pipe, another kneels and fiddles with an object. Their clothing looks simple and practical, suggesting a working or rural milieu. Behind them, the trunk of a tree is hinted at. The light stays muted, the tonal palette limited to greys — a hallmark of the etching technique.
Context
Between 1797 and 1799, during a period of political upheaval in Spain, Goya worked on 'Los Caprichos'. The series scourges social follies, superstition and corruption. In 1799 the plates were published as a collection, but were soon withdrawn for fear of the Inquisition. The 'Muchachos' — lads — refer to youth and preparation for life, often with a mocking undertone.
Impact
The realistic approach and calm arrangement draw the viewer in directly, almost like a silent observer. A dark underlying mood and nuanced tonal gradations give the plate a melancholy touch that invites pause.
Technique
Etching with burnished aquatint and burin on paper. The aquatint provides soft grey gradients, while the etching needle brings out contours and details. Their interplay yields a rich range of tonal values with precise shading.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)