Francisco de Goya

Datos Generales
Cronología
Ca. 1797 - 1799
Dimensiones
217 x 152 mm
Técnica y soporte
Etching and burnished aquatint
Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
Undisputed work
Ficha: realización/revisión
26 Dec 2010 / 29 May 2024
Inventario
225
Inscripciones

Subir y bajar. (at the bottom)

56. (in the upper right-hand corner)

Historia

See Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, Painter.

There is a state proof with burnished aquatint in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris.

A preparatory drawing of this engraving is in the Prado Museum.

Análisis artístico

A goat-legged satyr sitting on the globe lifts a figure dressed as a soldier into the air. He carries a sword at his belt, his legs are bare and smoke is rising from his head. From his hands, bolts of fire shoot out, which he hurls at his opponents around him, who fall into the void. They are those who were once exalted and are now overthrown by the new rising figure.

By using aquatint over the entire surface of the print, the painter has created a dark scene in which the losers fall. In addition, by using the varnish reserves, he has highlighted the white gleams on the personage on top and on the satyr who is lifting him up. The burnisher has been used in the smoke on the head and the fire in the hands.

This engraving is explained in Ayala's manuscript as follows: "Prince of Peace. Lust lifts him up by his feet; he fills his head with smoke and wind, and fires lightning bolts at his emulators (...)". In the Prado Museum's engraving no. 56, we are told the following: "Fortune treats those who give her as a gift very badly. It pays with smoke for the fatigue of climbing, and punishes those who have climbed by precipitating them". The one in the National Library states the following: "The Prince of Peace, lifted up by lust, and with his head full of smoke, vibrates lightning bolts against the good ministers. These fall and the ball rolls; which is the story of the favourites".

All three manuscripts agree that this is an allusion to Manuel Godoy (Badajoz, 1767-Paris, 1851), who came to power partly because he was the lover of Queen Maria Luisa of Parma (Parma, 1751-Rome, 1819). Godoy gradually removed from office many of the Enlightenment ministers, some of whom formed part of Francisco de Goya's circle of friends, such as Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (Gijón, 1744-Vega, 1811), Francisco de Saavedra y Sangronis (Seville, 1746-Seville, 1819), José de Moñino y Redondo, Count of Floridablanca (Murcia, 1728-Seville, 1808) and Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, the Count of Aranda (Siétamo, Huesca, 1719-Épila, 1798).

Beyond any specific allusion, the painter intended to capture in an allegorical manner the political instability in Spain, where political posts were ephemeral and some were replaced by others, sometimes for entirely futile reasons. In this way, it was not possible to take measures of any depth, nor to undertake reforms with a future perspective.

Edwin Palm, who has analysed this engraving from an iconographic point of view, believes that the figure in the foreground raising the fire-thrower is a clear allusion to Pan, the god of lust, as well as a reference to Spain itself. Etymologically, Hispania could be identified as the country of Pan. We would therefore be looking at the image of Spain which, in turn, would refer us to the lust of Queen María Luisa, infatuated with Manuel Godoy, who governed the destiny of the country at many times.

Exposiciones
  • Goya. Gemälde Zeichnungen. Graphik. Tapisserien
    Kunsthalle Basel
    Basle
    1953
    from January 23th to April 12th 1953
  • De grafiek van Goya
    Rijksmuseum Rijksprentenkabinet
    Amsterdam
    1970
    from November 13th 1970 to January 17th 1971
  • 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
  • Goya. La década de Los Caprichos
    Madrid
    1992
    organized 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 1993
  • Francisco de Goya
    Museo d'Arte Moderna
    Lugano
    1996
    exhibition celebrated from September 22nd to November 17th.
  • 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 e la tradizione italiana
    Fondazione Magnani Rocca
    Mamiano di Traversetolo (Parma)
    2006
    consultant editors Fred Licht and Simona Tosini Pizzetti. From September 9th to December 3th 2006
  • Goya. Opera grafica
    Pinacoteca del Castello di San Giorgio
    Legnano
    2006
    exhibition celebrated from December 16th 2006 to April 1st 2007
  • Goya e Italia
    Museo de Zaragoza
    Zaragoza
    2008
    organized by the Fundación Goya en Aragóna, consultant editor Joan Sureda Pons. From June 1st to September 15th 2008
  • 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
  • London
    2015
  • Madrid
    2017
Bibliografía
  • HARRIS, Tomás
    Goya engravings and lithographs, vol. I y II.
    OxfordBruno Cassirer
    1964
    p.131, cat. 91
  • LEVITINE, George
    Goya's "Subir y Bajar": Pan and Ambition
    Studies in Romanticism
    The Graduate School, Boston University
    1964
    pp.177-185
  • GASSIER, Pierre y WILSON, Juliet
    Vie et ouvre de Francisco de Goya
    ParísOffice du livre
    1970
    p.182, cat. 563
  • PALM, E.W.
    Zu Goyas Capricho 56
    Aachener Kunstblätter
    L. Schwann
    1971
    pp.20-27
  • WILSON BAREAU, Juliet
    Goya, la década de los caprichos: dibujos y aguafuertes
    MadridReal Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
    1992
    pp.279-281, cat. 170-171
  • MENA, Manuela B. y WILSON-BAREAU, Juliet (comisarias)
    Goya. El capricho y la invención. Cuadros de gabinete, bocetos y miniaturas
    MadridMuseo del Prado
    1993
    p.46, fig. 19
  • SANTIAGO, Elena M. (coordinadora)
    Catálogo de las estampas de Goya en la Biblioteca Nacional
    MadridMinisterio de Educación y Cultura, Biblioteca Nacional
    1996
    p.103, cat. 145
  • 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.294-297
  • OROPESA, Marisa and RINCÓN GARCÍA, Wilfredo
    ParísPinacoteca de París
    2013
    p. 228
  • ILCHMAN, Frederick y STEPANEK, Stephanie L. (comisarios)
    Goya: Order & Disorder
    BostonMuseum of Fine Arts Boston Publications
    2014
    pp. 335-339
  • WILSON-BAREAU, Juliet y BUCK, Stephanie (eds.)
    LondonThe Courtauld Gallery
    2015
    p. 138
  • WILSON BAREAU, Juliet
    Goya. In the Norton Simon Museum
    PasadenaNorton Simon Museum
    2016
    pp. 42-75
  • CALVO RUATA, José Ignacio, BORRÁS GUALIS, Gonzalo M. and MARTÍNEZ HERRANZ, Amparo
    ZaragozaGobierno de Aragón y Fundación Bancaria Ibercaja
    2017
    p. 205
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