Francisco de Goya

Datos Generales
Cronología
Ca. 1797 - 1799
Dimensiones
219 x 153 mm
Técnica y soporte
Aguafuerte, aguatinta bruñida y buril (prueba de estado antes de bruñir el aguatinta)
Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
Undisputed work
Ficha: realización/revisión
25 Nov 2010 / 29 May 2024
Inventario
225
Inscripciones

Well thrown is (at the bottom)

 17. (in the upper right-hand corner)

Historia

See Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, Painter.

Two state proofs are known to exist with the title in pen manuscript, one of them written crudely and the other in careful calligraphy for the letter engraver. In both the word "está" is accented, although the accent disappeared when it was transferred to copperplate and was added after a few printings when the error was realised.

Two preparatory drawings for this engraving have survived (1) and (2).

Análisis artístico

In the centre of the print, a young woman pulls up the stocking covering her leg, which we can see up to the knee. She leans on the bed and places her foot on a brazier. All this takes place under the gaze of a completely covered old woman, of whom we can only see her aged face. This situation is taking place in a dark environment in which the light is concentrated on the young woman's light-coloured clothes and on the top of the old woman's head.

Ayala's manuscript explains this scene by saying that "there can be nothing more thrown down than a harlot. Aunt Curra knows very well how to stretch her stockings". In the Prado Museum's manuscript it is commented that "Aunt Curra is no fool. She knows very well that it is good for stockings to be well stretched". Finally, the manuscript in the National Library states that "a prostitute stretches her stocking to show off her beautiful leg, and there is nothing more flimsy than her".

In this case Goya has played on the double meaning of the title to criticise prostitution, which became a common practice by which young women were able to prosper economically. The painter openly declares his view of prostitution as a practice that diminishes women's dignity.

This image must have inspired Charles Baudelaire (Paris, 1821-Paris, 1867) in Les Phares from Les fleurs du mal (1857), as well as an article on Goya in which he says: "(...) these white and slender Spaniards who wash and groom themselves with old sempiternas for the sabat and for prostitution at night, sabat of civilisation".

This engraving by Goya is clearly reminiscent of the print In the Tavern by William Hogarth (London, 1697-1764) in which a prostitute on the right-hand side of the print pulls up a stocking. In this case the bustling atmosphere of the brothel differs from the more intimate scene depicted by the Aragonese painter, although the attitude of the women is very similar in both cases.

It should also be noted that with this type of image Goya advocates the scenes of the life of prostitutes painted by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (Albi, 1864-Malromé, 1901). Both were concerned with capturing the intimacy of these women, although in the case of the French painter his works are free of any criticism.

Conservación

The plate is preserved in the National Chalcography (no. 188).

Exposiciones
  • Goya. Gemälde Zeichnungen. Graphik. Tapisserien
    Kunsthalle Basel
    Basle
    1953
    from January 23th to April 12th 1953
  • De grafiek van Goya
    Rijksmuseum Rijksprentenkabinet
    Amsterdam
    1970
    from November 13th 1970 to January 17th 1971
  • El arte de Goya
    Museo de Arte Occidental de Tokio
    Tokyo
    1971
    from 16th 1971 to January 23th 1972. Exhibited also at the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, January 29th to March 15th 1972.
  • Goya. La década de Los Caprichos
    Madrid
    1992
    organized by Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando sponsored by Fundación Central Hispano, Madrid, consultant editor Nigel Glendinnig. From October 26th 1992 to January 10th 1993
  • Goya
    Nationalmuseum
    Stockholm
    1994
    consultant editors Juan J. Luna and Görel Cavalli-Björkman. From October 7th 1994 to January 8th 1995
  • Francisco de Goya
    Museo d'Arte Moderna
    Lugano
    1996
    exhibition celebrated from September 22nd to November 17th.
  • Francisco Goya. Sein leben im spiegel der graphik. Fuendetodos 1746-1828 Bordeaux. 1746-1996
    Galerie Kornfeld
    Bern
    1996
    from November 21st 1996 to January 1997
  • Goya artista de su tiempo y Goya artista único
    The National Museum of Western Art
    Tokyo
    1999
    from December 1st to July 3th 1999
  • Goya e la tradizione italiana
    Fondazione Magnani Rocca
    Mamiano di Traversetolo (Parma)
    2006
    consultant editors Fred Licht and Simona Tosini Pizzetti. From September 9th to December 3th 2006
  • Goya. Opera grafica
    Pinacoteca del Castello di San Giorgio
    Legnano
    2006
    exhibition celebrated from December 16th 2006 to April 1st 2007
  • Goya luces y sombras
    CaixaForum
    Barcelona
    2012
    consultant editors José Manuel Matilla and Manuela B. Marqués. From March 16th to June 24th 2012
  • Goya et la modernité
    Pinacothèque de Paris
    París
    2013
    from October 11st 2013 to March 16th 2014
  • Expérience Goya
    Lille
    2021
  • 2022
Bibliografía
  • HARRIS, Tomás
    Goya engravings and lithographs, vol. I y II.
    OxfordBruno Cassirer
    1964
    p.87, cat. 52
  • GASSIER, Pierre y WILSON, Juliet
    Vie et ouvre de Francisco de Goya
    ParísOffice du livre
    1970
    p.178, cat. 485
  • WILSON BAREAU, Juliet
    Goya, la década de los caprichos: dibujos y aguafuertes
    MadridReal Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
    1992
    pp.140-141, cat. 83
  • SANTIAGO, Elena M. (coordinadora)
    Catálogo de las estampas de Goya en la Biblioteca Nacional
    MadridMinisterio de Educación y Cultura, Biblioteca Nacional
    1996
    p.82, cat. 105
  • BLAS BENITO, Javier, MATILLA RODRÍGUEZ, José Manuel y MEDRANO, José Miguel
    El libro de los caprichos: dos siglos de interpretaciones (1799-1999). Catálogo de los dibujos, pruebas de estado, láminas de cobre y estampas de la primera edición
    MadridMuseo Nacional del Prado
    1999
    pp.182-183
  • OROPESA, Marisa and RINCÓN GARCÍA, Wilfredo
    ParísPinacoteca de París
    2013
    p. 248
  • WILSON BAREAU, Juliet
    Goya. In the Norton Simon Museum
    PasadenaNorton Simon Museum
    2016
    pp. 42-75
  • COTENTIN, Régis
    Expérience Goya (cat. expo)
    LilleRéunion des Musées Nationaux
    2021
    p. 90
  • TORAL OROPESA, María and MARTÍN MEDINA, Víctor
    Museo de Bellas Artes de Badajoz y Diputación de Badajoz
    2022
    p. 35
Enlaces externos
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