Los Caprichos

By Francisco Goya

After a serious illness in 1792, Goya spent five years recuperating and preparing himself for the burst of creativity that was to follow. He read deeply in the French revolutionary philosophers. From Rousseau he evolved the idea that imagination divorced from reason produces monsters, but that coupled with reason "it is the mother of the arts and the source of their wonders." In Spain he saw a country that had abandoned reason, and he peopled Los Caprichos with the grotesque monsters that result from such an action. Plate after plate shows witches, asses, devils, and other strange creatures, many of which are caricatures of members of the society against which Goya was fighting.
The plates were first published in 1799. There are still in existence, however, six extremely rare sets of artist's proofs, considered by most who have managed to see them as infinitely superior to the work actually published. Now, for the first time, this edition reproduces one of these sets of 80 prints, together with the "Prado" manuscript, a commentary on the plates. In addition, this collection contains supplementary material to the Los Caprichos series, inlcuding a never-before-published study for Caprichos 10; three unique proofs of plates probably intended for publication with the others; a preliminary drawing for plate I, a self-portrait of Goya (which appears as the frontispiece to this volume); and a unique proof of "Woman in Prison" which may represent an earlier version of Caprichos 32.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Jun 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9780486139135

Book preview

Los Caprichos

Francisco Goya y Lucientes

Copyright © 1969 by Dover Publications, Inc.

All rights reserved.

This Dover edition, first published in 1969, reproduces in its entirety—with illustrations original size—one of the six known pre-first-edition proof sets of the Caprichos (in the collection of Mr. Philip Hofer, Cambridge, Mass.).

The present volume also includes a new Introduction by Mr. Hofer, a list of plates, English translations of the Spanish captions, and the Spanish text, with English translation, of the Prado manuscript of commentary on the plates. The translations of the captions and of the Prado manuscript (© Hilda Harris 1964) are those first published in Goya: Engravings and Lithographs, by Thomás Harris, and are used here by special arrangement with the publisher, Bruno Cassirer, Oxford.

The frontispiece drawing is reproduced by courtesy of Mr. Walter C. Baker, New York City.

The unique proofs of the early version of Aquellos polbos and of Old Woman and a Gallant are reproduced by courtesy of the Cabinet des Estampes, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

The unique proofs of Sueño de la mentira y la ynconstancia, Woman in Prison and Women Weeping over an Injured Dog are reproduced by courtesy of the Gabinete de Estampas, Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid.

The publisher is especially grateful to Mr. Hofer for his permission to reproduce his proof set of the Caprichos and his hitherto unpublished preliminary drawing for El amor y la muerte, and for his unfailing cooperation in the preparation of this volume.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 69—14996

International Standard Book Number

9780486139135

ISBN-10: 0-486-22384-1

Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation

22384119

www.doverpublications.com

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

INTRODUCTION TO THE DOVER EDITION

LIST OF PLATES

PLATES

INTRODUCTION TO THE DOVER EDITION

Occasionally in the life of a very great artist some event, or some achievement, marks a turning point in his career. The publication of Los Caprichos, eighty aquatint plates, roughly 12½ by 8¾ inches in their uncut state, was both these in Francisco Goya’s case. The year was 1799, and one even knows the day, thanks to an advertisement in a newspaper, the Diario de Madrid. It was Tuesday, February 6th! Quite amusingly, the exact spot of publication was a shop for liquors and perfumes, in the Street of Disillusion (Calle del Desengaño) right opposite Goya’s own house. The price was 320 reales, or about thirty-five dollars in our currency—a little less than forty cents a print (a fairly normal price for those days).

Despite this less than earth-shaking figure, the prints were not only Goya’s largest graphic work to date—and he was already fifty-three years old—but a tremendous leap in quality and power above any prints he had ever done

Reviews for Los Caprichos

[varwenea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book purchased at the Seattle Art Museum after visiting their special exhibit of Graphic Masters, which had many of the prints in the “Los Caprichos” by Goya, the great Spanish artist. “The Caprices” is far from the lighthearted title but is instead a biting critique of the 18th century Spain. Published in 1799, this album of 80 prints condemned the follies and foolishness of the Spanish society then. Topics were far-ranging from superstition, inquisition, injustices of the poor, prostitution, martial mistakes, and more. The prints themselves are cryptic with a title; Goya separately added explanation to a manuscript. Many are sad, some are unsettling, while several are outright horrifying. It is the darker side of art. History marks this series as having heightened Goya’s status exponentially as he embarked on a new phase of his artistic expression towards social statements. At his time though, this album sold only 27 copies. Being a favorite of the King, the King ordered Goya to give to the crown all the unsold sets as well as the copper plates and declared he had asked Goya to make them --- thus saving Goya from both the Inquisition and the political right.Pieces that stood-out:10) “Love and death” – The Ego wins, but the person loses. Reminded me of the Russian writers who died in duels such as Pushkin and Lermontov.14) “What a sacrifice!” – A poor, young, pretty girl marrying a much older man to feed her family.19, 20) “All will fall”, “There they go plucked” – On prostitution, the women “win” in these two. 21) “How they pluck her!” – On prostitution, the men, as birds of prey, are plucking the young lass who is terrified.23, 24) “Those specks of dust”, “Nothing could be done about it” – On the Inquisition30) “Why hide them?” – On aging, mocking the old for hoarding his money. This is the only one that I disagreed with. I think the old has the right to hang on to his/her wealth till death. 34) “Sleep overcomes them” – On the poor – “Don’t wake them! Sleep is perhaps the only happiness of the wretched.”43) “The sleep of reason produces monsters” – This was the intended cover art of album. “Imagination abandoned by reason produces monsters: united with her, she is the mother of the arts and the source of their wonders”44) “They spin finely” – On the web of lies45) “There is plenty to suck” – On youth and aging48) “Tale-bearers – Blasts of wind” – On gossiping52) “What a tailor can do!” – On false appearances 75) “Can’t anyone untie us?” – On failed marriage

[deeehmm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Historical truth in metaphor