Francisco de Goya, They Spin Finely, Plate 44
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Sundry Purchase Fund, 2014.15 · The Cleveland Museum of Art, Open Access (CC0)View original →
Francisco de Goya

They Spin Finely, Plate 44

1799

Current Collection

Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Medium
Etching, aquatint, drypoint, and engraving printed in sepia
Dimensions
30.2 × 19.5 cm
Status
In Museum Collection
Collect24 Art ID
C24-196621

Francisco de Goya creatively engaged with printmaking, producing bold and innovative compositions. This impression is a rare trial proof printed in sepia ink before publication of the series Los Caprichos, whose title translates as “caprices” or “artistic fantasies.” As one of the earliest sheets printed from the plate, it retains Goya’s subtle layers of tonal aquatint absent in later impressions. Note, for example, the slight shift in tone between the pale skin and white blouse of the woman in the foreground whose spinning, a common euphemism for sex work, is likely the subject of the artist…

Provenance

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Sundry Purchase Fund, 2014.15

Registry history

  • 1799 — Recorded in the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art — prints

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