Proverbios
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes
Description
March 28, 2009
This series, also known by Goya’s title of Los Disparates (or Follies) is another examination into the disquieting aspects of human nature. Much darker even than the Caprichos, these scenes of cruelty and manipulation are joined to frightening imagery of giants with grotesque smiles and figures in sacks, for example. By the time he began work on this series, Goya had lived through the horrors of Napoleon’s occupation of Spain in the Peninsular War (1808–1814) with its guerrilla warfare and harsh reprisals—events he chronicled in his series The Disasters of War. The Disasters remains one of the most powerful indictments of war on record with images that, to this day, are difficult to look at. The pessimism that pervades that series is also evident in Los Proverbios.
Usage Rights:
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.