Wait till you've been anointed (Aguarda que te unten)
Original title: Plate 67 from "Los Caprichos": Wait till you've been anointed (Aguarda que te unten)
kurzbeschreibung
Plate 67 from Los Caprichos, Goya's etched series published in 1799. Worked with aquatint and drypoint, this print presents two figures in what looks like a solemn ritual, human foolishness pushed to the point of satire.
Description
Against a bare, gloomy setting, two figures face each other. On the left, a creature with an animal's head grips a standing animal by its front legs. Opposite, a human-like figure kneels, clutching the animal's hind legs and holding a bowl of liquid ready. Twisted postures and deep gray shading give the arrangement an uncanny, grotesque quality. The spare background throws the pair's interaction into sharp relief.
Context
Between 1797 and 1799, Goya made the eighty etchings of Los Caprichos, which skewer Spanish society, superstition, and the clergy with biting mockery. Plate 67 belongs to the group dealing with witchcraft and the Inquisition. Its title alludes to extreme unction, a Catholic rite that here becomes an absurd ceremony. The first edition of 1799 was withdrawn shortly after publication because of its sharp criticism.
Impact
An oppressive, eerie mood emanates from the scene, carried by the dark aquatint and distorted figures. Goya's satirical edge makes the ritual's absurdity immediately palpable, without letting the image tip into mere ridicule.
Technique
The etching combines bitten aquatint with drypoint, producing fine tonal gradations and a velvety texture. The plate measures 21.4 × 15 cm; it was printed on paper measuring 29.5 × 20.8 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)