Plate 47 from "Los Caprichos": A gift for the master (Obsequio á el maestro)
Original title: Plate 47 from "Los Caprichos": A gift for the master (Obsequio á el maestro)
kurzbeschreibung
For plate 47 of Francisco Goya's 1799 print series 'Los Caprichos', the artist employed etching, aquatint, and drypoint. The image presents a tense group: a kneeling man in white appears to beg for mercy while others watch the unfolding event.
Description
A man in a white robe kneels at the front, his posture defensive and fearful, as if praying or pleading for mercy. Close beside him, another figure kneels with hands clasped in prayer. Further back, a woman in an apron stands attentively scrutinizing the kneeling man. A childlike being carries a small statue and looks toward the supplicant. Dark, muted tones, strong contrasts, and nuanced shading define the arrangement, which is asymmetrical and charged with tension.
Context
This plate belongs to the series 'Los Caprichos', released in 1799, in which Goya skewers social ills and human follies with biting satire. These etchings emerged during an era of profound political and social upheaval in Spain, between Enlightenment and Inquisition. Shortly after publication, the series was withdrawn from sale, likely due to its critical content.
Impact
The murky lighting and menacing undercurrent create an oppressive atmosphere that draws the viewer directly into the action. The uneven layout and expressive figures heighten the sense of unease and tension characteristic of Goya's later work.
Technique
The plate was made using a combination of etching, burnished aquatint, and drypoint. Aquatint produces fine tonal gradations and soft shadows, while drypoint yields precise lines and textures. The paper size of 29.4 × 20.9 cm matches the standard dimensions for sheets in this series.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)