Plate 33 from "Los Caprichos": To the Count Palatine (Al Conde Palatino)
Original title: Plate 33 from "Los Caprichos": To the Count Palatine (Al Conde Palatino)
kurzbeschreibung
Plate 33 of Los Caprichos, the series Goya published in 1799, is titled Al Conde Palatino. It shows a woman standing upright while two kneeling figures work at her dress. The print was made as an etching with aquatint and drypoint.
Description
The layout feels balanced: a woman with curly hair and a costly gown stands in the middle, her gaze lowered. At her feet two figures kneel, apparently busy with the fabric of her dress. The space behind stays bare; bottles and other implements lie on a table. Light falling from the front separates the figures clearly from the ground. The motif is held in monochrome shades of grey.
Context
This sheet belongs to the 80 etchings of Los Caprichos, made in 1799, which satirize the ills of society and human folly. The title 'To the Count Palatine' points to a historical figure who cannot be securely identified. With the series Goya caricatured the nobility, the clergy and the superstitions of his era.
Impact
The symmetrical arrangement and clear light give the sheet a calm, concentrated mood. Between the woman's upright posture and the bent backs of the kneeling figures a tension arises that feels ironic.
Technique
Goya combined etching, burnished aquatint, drypoint and burin here. This method allows fine lines and soft tonal transitions, which produce the grey, monochrome character of the print.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)