They Spruce Themselves Up, plate 51 from Los Caprichos - Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes

Clarence Buckingham Collection

"They Spruce Themselves Up, plate 51 from Los Caprichos" by Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1797/99) Etching and aquatint in sepia on ivory laid paper.

Commentary

"They Spruce Themselves Up, plate 51 from Los Caprichos" by Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1797/99) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. Themes to notice include etching. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes Spanish, 1746-1828. The work is cataloged within a Spain cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as etching, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Etching and aquatint in sepia on ivory laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 18.1 × 12.7 cm (7 3/16 × 5 in.); Plate: 21 × 14.8 cm (8 5/16 × 5 7/8 in.); Sheet: 30.1 × 20.7 cm (11 7/8 × 8 3/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include etching. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/123812

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data