Plate 45 from "Los Caprichos": There is Plenty to Suck (Mucho hay que chupar)
Original title: Plate 45 from "Los Caprichos": There is Plenty to Suck (Mucho hay que chupar)
kurzbeschreibung
Goya made this print in 1799 as part of his eighty-plate series Los Caprichos. It shows two old men, a hovering spectral figure and a basket of motionless little bodies. Executed as an etching with burnished aquatint, the motif is among the best known of the series, which attacks social ills and superstition.
Description
Two bearded old men crouch at the lower edge, their twisted faces suggesting a heated exchange. Above them floats a winged shadow figure in a cloak, holding a paper in its hand, like a ghost or an allegory. At the lower right stands a basket in which several small humanlike figures lie, resembling motionless infants. The uneven arrangement pulls the eye toward the central figures. Greys and blacks dominate; sparse light picks out the faces and the basket.
Context
The etching appeared in 1799 as one of the 80 plates of Los Caprichos, in which Goya turned a satirical, critical eye on Spanish society of his day. The title Mucho hay que chupar may point to exploitation and greed among the upper classes. In this phase Goya moved away from court painting toward socially critical subjects. Shortly after publication the series was withdrawn from sale because of its sharpness.
Impact
A gloomy mood and grotesque figures create an oppressive, almost threatening atmosphere. The contrast between the realistically drawn men and the supernatural being gives the sheet something surreal and puzzling.
Technique
Etching and burnished aquatint come together here, allowing fine lines and soft tonal gradations. The aquatint produces the grey areas and shadows, while the burnished passages set the highlights. The combination of etching and aquatint yields a painterly, dramatic effect.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)