Cruel folly

An enraged man attacks another man with a club and hits him on the head, causing him to fall to the ground, screaming in pain with a disfigured, almost cadaverous face. In front of him, several people in an unclear attitude barely notice what has happened. One of them, in the foreground, has his back turned, and in the centre of the composition, another is turned slightly. The scene takes place in a ruined space with a half-ruined wall or rampart.

The meaning and significance of this scene is puzzling, as in most of the prints in the Follies series. Some authors believe that the character who turns around is going to face the man with the club, while others think that he is in a lewd posture, with his legs open, surrounding a woman for dishonest purposes, so that the armed man would be launching himself against the unbridled libido. Thus, the attacker would be the reason against dirty carnal pleasures. Others believe that the action takes place in a prison environment, more specifically in a prison where political prisoners are held. In that case we would be looking at a denunciation of human cruelty. It would not be the first time that Goya had used this theme, as prison scenes are frequently depicted in the Caprices.

As in other prints from the Follies, the night sky is rendered in aquatint, while the light falls on the figures to achieve chiaroscuro effects.

The preparatory drawing for the present print, also titled Cruel folly.