Francisco de Goya

Simpleton's folly

Clasificación
Simpleton's folly
Datos Generales
Cronología
1815 - 1819
Dimensiones
247 x 359 mm
Técnica y soporte
Aguafuerte, aguatinta bruñida, punta seca y buril
Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
Documented work
Ficha: realización/revisión
21 Aug 2021 / 05 Jun 2023
Inventario
-
Inscripciones

Goya (print, bottom left-hand corner)

Historia

See Femenine folly

There are state proofs before the aquatint in the Library of the University of Paris, in the Kunsthalle in Bremen and in the New York Public Library. In the latter proof, another character appears next to the man.

In the Pereire Collection there is a state proof on which the legend "Bobalicon" can be read.

Análisis artístico

A large monster dances and plays castanets before a terrified man who hides behind a stiff, almost spectral being hidden under a shroud. The giant, of indeterminate sex, wears men's trousers and an unbuttoned blouse revealing a female-looking torso. Behind him, two ghostly heads appear, one with its mouth open in terror, the other as if petrified by terror.

The meaning of this print is enigmatic, as the name was not given by Goya but comes from a posthumous annotation on a copy from the mid-19th century, so perhaps the Aragonese artist's intention was different.

The man depicted is usually associated with a member of the clergy, as in the preparatory drawing, also entitled Simpleton's folly, he wears a kind of habit, and the rigidity of the figure he is holding is reminiscent of a statue or religious image. In the engraving he does not look so much like an ecclesiastic as an ecclesiastic, but he is wearing a kind of cloak over his head. One of the explanations that have been attempted for this print is related to religion and the Church, and even to the aristocracy, as in some proofs an additional figure appears. The castanets are a typically Spanish instrument, so that by wearing them, the giant could symbolise the uprising of the Spanish people against these oppressive classes. Hence the fear of the character hiding behind religion.

A relationship has also been seem with the tradition of Carnival, with the character of the fool, who when he was very old was called Bobalicon. In this case we would be faced with the confrontation of two practices, Lent and Carnival. 

A dark aquatint was applied to the light etching to create an abstract space in which the ground is barely distinguishable from the horizon line. Thanks to the burnisher, Goya achieved half-tones.He used drypoint on the heads at the back and touches of burin on the one on the right. The lighting is centred on the giantess to show her large wingspan.

The preparatory drawing for the present print, also entitled Simpleton's folly, has been preserved.

Exposiciones
  • Goya
    Musée Jacquemart-André
    París
    1961
    consultant editor Jean-Gabriel Domergue. From December 1961 to February 1962
  • Etchings by Francosco Goya
    Johannesburgo
    Johannesburgo
    1974
  • Boston
    1974
  • 1976
  •  Grabados de Goya: colección propiedad de la Biblioteca Nacional, que se conserva en su Gabinete de
    Casa de la Amistad de Moscú
    Moscow
    1979
    exhibition displayed from January 18th to 31st 1979
  • Goya. Das Zeitalter der Revolucionen. Kunst um 1800 (1980 – 1981)
    Hamburger Kunsthalle
    Hamburg
    1980
  • Goya y el espíritu de la Ilustración
    Museo Nacional del Prado
    Madrid
    1988
    from October 6th to December 18th 1988. Exhibited also at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, January 18th to March 26th 1989; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Nueva York, May 9th to July 16th 1989, Madrid curator Manuela B. Mena Marqués, scientific directors Alfonso E. Pérez Sánchez and Eleanor A. Sayre
  • 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. 250 Aniversario
    Museo Nacional del Prado
    Madrid
    1996
    consultant editor Juan J. Luna. From March 29th to June 2nd 1996
  • Goya grabador
    Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo
    Marbella
    1996
    from March 8th to May 5th 1996
  • Zaragoza
    1996
  • London
    1997
  • 1999
  • Madrid
    1999
  • Schlaf der Vernunft. Original radierungen von Francisco de Goya
    Munich
    2000
  • Bilbao
    2012
  • Goya et la modernité
    Pinacothèque de Paris
    París
    2013
    from October 11st 2013 to March 16th 2014
  • Goya: Order and disorder
    Museum of Fine Arts
    Boston
    2014
  • Agen
    2019
  • 2022
Bibliografía
  • HARRIS, Tomás
    OxfordBruno Cassirer
    1964
    pp. 378-379, cat. 251
  • GASSIER, Pierre y WILSON, Juliet
    Vie et ouvre de Francisco de Goya
    ParísOffice du livre
    1970
    p. 325, cat. 1576
  • SANTIAGO, Elena M. (coordinadora)
    Catálogo de las estampas de Goya en la Biblioteca Nacional
    MadridMinisterio de Educación y Cultura, Biblioteca Nacional
    1996
    p. 236, cat. 378
  • CARRETE, Juan, MATILLA, José Manuel, AULLÓN DE HARO, Pedro, BOZAL, Valeriano, GLENDINNING, Nigel, VEGA, Jesusa y BLAS, Javier
    MadridReal Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando y Calcografía Nacional
    1996
    pp. 105 y 109, cat. 4 y 24
  • Matilla, José Manuel
    MadridMuseo Nacional y Ediciones El Viso
    2008
    pp. 476-477, cat. 176
  • VEGA, Jesusa
    MadridConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
    2010
    p. 478
  • OROPESA, Marisa and RINCÓN GARCÍA, Wilfredo
    ParísPinacoteca de París
    2013
    p. 271
  • ILCHMAN, Frederick y STEPANEK, Stephanie L. (comisarios)
    Goya: Order & Disorder
    BostonMuseum of Fine Arts Boston Publications
    2014
    pp. 337-340
  • WILSON BAREAU, Juliet
    Goya. In the Norton Simon Museum
    PasadenaNorton Simon Museum
    2016
    pp. 204-211
  • MOTTIN, Bruno, EFEDAQUE, Adrien and WILSON-BAREU, Juliet
    AgenSnoeck
    2019
    p. 146
  • TORAL OROPESA, María and MARTÍN MEDINA, Víctor
    Museo de Bellas Artes de Badajoz y Diputación de Badajoz
    2022
    p. 93
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