- Cronología
- Ca. 1797 - 1799
- Dimensiones
- 202 x 152 mm
- Técnica y soporte
- Aguafuerte, aguatinta bruñida y buril
- Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
- Undisputed work
- Ficha: realización/revisión
- 11 Jan 2011 / 29 May 2024
- Inventario
- 225
Si amanece; nos Vamos. (at the bottom)
71. (in the upper right-hand corner)
See Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, Painter.
There is a state proof with burnished and burin aquatint in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
A preparatory drawing of this engraving is in the Prado Museum.
Under a starry night sky, four old witches with deformed and weathered faces listen attentively to a fifth one pointing to the right; it is possible that the old woman is announcing the imminent arrival of the day before which they must prepare to flee. She is sitting on a sack and has children hanging from her belt who will be the object of some rite. In the background we can see a shadow with its wings spread out, which seems to be protecting the sorceresses.
With his use of varnish reserves and mastery of aquatint, Goya manages to create excellent lighting effects of contrast between the darkness of the sky and the incipient daylight. He also uses the burin to redraw the back of the old witch in the background on the left.
The Prado Manuscript says of this print: And even if you hadn't come, you wouldn't need to, while the Ayala manuscript notes the following: "Conferencian de noche las alcahuetas sobre el modo de echarse criaturas al cinto" ("The procuresses lecture at night on how to put creatures on their belts"). The manuscript in the National Library is somewhat more explicit when referring to engraving no. 71 of The Caprices: "The ruffians and procuresses confer at night about their lightheartedness and the means of getting more children under their belts".
Goya criticises those who live in the darkness of their superstitions and flee from the clarity that reason implies. Those who try to keep us away from the light are nothing other than beings as repulsive and grotesque as those captured by the artist in this engraving.
The reference to the child sacrifices that were practised in some covens is present in other engravings in the series, such as No. 69, Blow.
The plate is preserved in the National Chalcography (no. 242).
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Goya. Gemälde Zeichnungen. Graphik. TapisserienKunsthalle BaselBasle1953from January 23th to April 12th 1953cat. 250
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Goya. La década de Los CaprichosMadrid1992organized 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 1993cat. 180
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GoyaNationalmuseumStockholm1994consultant editors Juan J. Luna and Görel Cavalli-Björkman. From October 7th 1994 to January 8th 1995cat. 72
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Francisco de GoyaMuseo d'Arte ModernaLugano1996exhibition celebrated from September 22nd to November 17th.cat. 71, p.98
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Francisco Goya. Sein leben im spiegel der graphik. Fuendetodos 1746-1828 Bordeaux. 1746-1996Galerie KornfeldBern1996from November 21st 1996 to January 1997cat. 77
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Goya e la tradizione italianaFondazione Magnani RoccaMamiano di Traversetolo (Parma)2006consultant editors Fred Licht and Simona Tosini Pizzetti. From September 9th to December 3th 2006cat. 71, p.163
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Goya. Opera graficaPinacoteca del Castello di San GiorgioLegnano2006exhibition celebrated from December 16th 2006 to April 1st 2007p.42
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Goya et la modernitéPinacothèque de ParisParís2013from October 11st 2013 to March 16th 2014cat. 174
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Goya engravings and lithographs, vol. I y II.OxfordBruno Cassirer1964p.149, cat. 106
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Vie et ouvre de Francisco de GoyaParísOffice du livre1970p.184, cat. 594
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Goya, la década de los caprichos: dibujos y aguafuertesMadridReal Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando1992pp.296-297, cat. 180
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Catálogo de las estampas de Goya en la Biblioteca NacionalMadridMinisterio de Educación y Cultura, Biblioteca Nacional1996p.112, cat. 163
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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 ediciónMadridMuseo Nacional del Prado1999pp.356-359
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ParísPinacoteca de París2013p. 239
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Goya. In the Norton Simon MuseumPasadenaNorton Simon Museum2016pp. 42-75