[Los Caprichos]

RA Collection: Book

Record number

04/692

Imprint

[Madrid:: 1799.]

Physical Description

80 pl.; 310 mm.

References

Spain. Calcografía Nacional, Caprichos de Francisco de Goya: una aproximación y tres estudios (1996); A.E. Perez Sanchez and J. Gallego, Goya: the complete etchings and lithographs (1994); J. Blas, Goya grabador y litografo: repertorio bibliografico (1992); J.A. Tomlinson, Graphic evolutions: the print series of Francisco Goya (1989); T. Harris, Goya engravings and lithographs (2 v., 1964; repr. 1983); E.A. Sayre and J.S. Boggs, The changing image: prints by Francisco de Goya (1974), p.54-121; F.J. Sánchez Cantón, Los Caprichos de Goya y sus dibujos preparatorios (1949).

Summary Note

No publication-date or title is carried by this series of prints. Goya named his preparatory drawings Sueños, but in 1799 he advertised the finished series of prints as Caprichos.

The first plate is a portrait of Goya. The rest are satiric fantasies, captioned in Spanish, expressing indignation at the callousness, obscurantism and hypocrisy of the powerful and rich. They are examples of aquatints without the addition of etched outlines and hatchings.

Reproductions

E. Lafuente Ferrari, ed., Los Caprichos de Goya: edición facsímil (1977).

Provenance

Purchased for RA Library in 1878 (see RA Annual Report for 1878, p. 48).

Binding Note

19th-century half green calf, marbled-papered boards; gilt-decorated spine, red morocco spine-label lettered 'Goya Y Lucientes Fantasie', spine lettered 'R.A.'