Dispatches, which awaken

Three monks are concentrating on various domestic tasks. In the foreground, one is cleaning a plate under the watchful eye of another, who is in profile and holding a broom, perhaps whispering the title of the print in his ear. In the background, another figure is stoking the fire with a bellows.

The figures have been described by means of parallel lines executed with etching. He then applied a fine-grained aquatint to achieve a medium tone that creates an intimate atmosphere in the scene.

The commentary in the Prado manuscript identifies them as goblins: "The little goblins are the most industrious and helpful people that can be found: as long as the maid keeps them happy, they stir the pot, cook the vegetables, scrub, sweep and quiet the child; it has been much disputed whether they are devils or not; let us be disabused, devils are those who are busy doing evil, or hindering others from doing good, or doing nothing at all". The manuscript in the National Library comments: "The friars have their meals alone at night with the nuns; they wash the dishes and they blow the fire", and Ayala's notes: "The friars and nuns have night parties to sing well during the day".

There are several engravings in the series of The Caprices in which Goya censures certain attitudes of members of the Church, especially the monks, who were also known as goblins (no. 49, Goblins, and no. 79, No One Has Seen Us). In this case he satirizes the detached life they led, with no other concerns than to devote themselves to domestic chores after having satisfied their carnal appetites.