Francisco de Goya

Fatal misfortune

Clasificación
Fatal misfortune
Datos Generales
Cronología
Ca. 1797 - 1798
Ubicación
Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid, España, Madrid, Spain
Dimensiones
185 x 120 mm
Técnica y soporte
Aguafuerte, aguatinta bruñida, punta seca y buril sobre papel verjurado
Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
Undisputed work
Titular
National Library of Spain
Ficha: realización/revisión
20 Jan 2011 / 21 Jun 2023
Inventario
INVENT/45637
Historia

See Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, Painter.

Only one unpublished proof remains, which belonged to the former Carderera collection in 1867. It later became part of the holdings of the National Library in Madrid.

Análisis artístico

On verso of the folio is Dream. Of lies and inconstancy.

In the centre of the print, a woman dressed in light clothes holds her hands to her head and clutches her hair. We cannot see her face, but we can intuit her pained expression. Next to her, an old woman weeps, wiping her eye with her hand, while in the foreground, on the left side of the print, a man in a ponytail, short coat and stockings caresses a small barking dog. Behind the group passes a maid who raises her arms, also in despair; her figure appears in profile and is heavily blackened by the aquatint.

Goya used a single aquatint; later he made some drypoint and burin retouches on the female figure holding her hands to her head.

It is possible that the Aragonese painter depicted in this engraving one of the many whims of the Duchess of Alba, whose fickle character was well known.

No preparatory drawing for this engraving has come down to us, although it could be related to drawing no. 91 of Cuaderno B or Madrid entitled Fatal misfortune, The whole house is clamouring because the Perrica has not worked. For Enrique Lafuente Ferrari, the work we are dealing with here shows some similarities with drawing no. 94 She has the car towed away, her hair dishevelled and pulled out and kicks because Abbé Pichurris told her in his ears that it was discoloured, in which the Duchess of Alba is also shown combing her hair with a gentleman in the background.

Conservación

It is preserved in poor condition with some flaws due to paper scuffing in several areas, especially on the head of the man sitting with the dog.

The sheet has been trimmed within the imprint of the plate.

Exposiciones
  • Grabados y dibujos de Goya en la Biblioteca Nacional
    Biblioteca Nacional
    Madrid
    1946
    catalogue Elena Páez Ríos
  • Goya en la Biblioteca Nacional. Exposición de grabados y dibujos en el sesquicentenario de su muerte
    Biblioteca Nacional
    Madrid
    1978
    May - June 1978
  • Goya (1746-1828). Peintures-Dessins-Gravures
    Centre Cultural du Marais
    París
    1979
    consultant editors Jacqueline et Maurice Guillard
  • Goya grabador
    Fundación Juan March
    Madrid
    1994
    consultant editors Alfonso E. Pérez Sánchez and Julián Gállego, from January 14th to March 20th 1994
  • Ydioma universal: Goya en la Biblioteca Nacional
    Biblioteca Nacional
    Madrid
    1996
    from September 19th to December 15th 1996
Bibliografía
  • SÁNCHEZ CANTÓN, Francisco Javier
    Los Caprichos de Goya y sus dibujos preparatorios
    BarcelonaInstituto Amatller de Arte Hispánico
    1949
    s/n
  • HARRIS, Tomás
    Goya engravings and lithographs, vol. I y II.
    OxfordBruno Cassirer
    1964
    p.163, cat. 120
  • GASSIER, Pierre y WILSON, Juliet
    Vie et ouvre de Francisco de Goya
    ParísOffice du livre
    1970
    p.186, cat. 621
  • LAFUENTE FERRARI, Enrique
    Los Caprichos de Goya
    col. Serie punto y línea
    BarcelonaGustavo Gili
    1977
    pp.200-201
  • SANTIAGO, Elena M. (coordinadora)
    Catálogo de las estampas de Goya en la Biblioteca Nacional
    MadridMinisterio de Educación y Cultura, Biblioteca Nacional
    1996
    p.118, cat. 175
  • 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.404-405
  • WILSON BAREAU, Juliet
    Goya. In the Norton Simon Museum
    PasadenaNorton Simon Museum
    2016
    pp. 42-75
Enlaces externos
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