Plate 1 from "Los Caprichos": Self-portrait (1799 (published 1881–86))

Original title: Plate 1 from "Los Caprichos": Self-portrait

Artist: Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
Date: 1799 (published 1881–86)
Medium: Etching, aquatint, drypoint and burin
Dimensions: Plate: 8 9/16 × 5 15/16 in. (21.8 × 15.1 cm) Sheet: 11 13/16 × 8 1/4 in. (30 × 20.9 cm)
Credit line: Gift of Mrs. Grafton H. Pyne, 1951

kurzbeschreibung

In 1799, the year 'Los Caprichos' was first published, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes made this self-portrait as the opening plate. The etching with aquatint, drypoint and burin shows the artist in profile, wearing a top hat and with a pensive expression.

Description

Goya appears in profile, a tall top hat on his head, his jacket with a decorative collar. His gaze seems brooding, almost melancholy. A plain dark background makes the figure stand out. Along the bottom edge is the handwritten inscription 'Fran. Goya y Lucientes, Pintor'. The layout is clearly structured and entirely in shades of grey.

Context

'Los Caprichos' was created towards the end of the 1790s and first appeared in 1799. It brings together 80 etchings that attack social abuses and superstition with satirical bite. As the opening plate, the self-portrait introduces the artist as a critical observer. The present edition was printed between 1881 and 1886.

Impact

A calm, inward mood emanates from this print. The dark ground and the serious gaze focus attention on the person and his intellectual presence. The plain elegance lends the artist dignity.

Technique

Etching combined with aquatint, drypoint and burin is used here. These techniques allow both precise lines and nuanced tonal values. Printing was done on laid paper, which gives the graphic a soft surface.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)