And So Was His Grandfather, plate 39 from Los Caprichos

Art Historical Context

**And So Was His Grandfather (Y era su abuelo), Plate 39 from *Los Caprichos*** Francisco Goya's *Los Caprichos* (1799), a groundbreaking series of 80 prints, boldly critiques the superstitions, follies, and social ills of late 18th-century Spain Created amid the Enlightenment's waning light and the Inquisition's shadow, Plate 39 satirizes quackery and inherited madness. The title wryly suggests a doctor's diagnosis: the patient's lunacy mirrors his grandfather's, underscoring Goya's disdain for pseudoscience and rigid traditions that perpetuated ignorance. Goya, a master of Romanticism's dark edge, employed aquatint—a tonal etching technique on ivory laid paper—to evoke dreamlike menace and subtle gradations impossible with line etching alone. Measuring just 20.2 × 13.9 cm, this intimate print packs visceral power, blending caricature with profound social commentary. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, it exemplifies Goya's innovative printmaking, which influenced generations and challenged viewers to confront human folly. Through haunting imagery, Goya invites reflection on timeless flaws, making *Los Caprichos* a cornerstone of satirical art. (178 words)

About the Artist

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes · 1746–1828

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was born on March 30, 1746, in the small Aragonese village of Fuendetodos, Spain, to José Benito de Goya, a master gilder, and Gracia de Lucientes. The fourth of six children in a modest lower-middle-class family, Goya received a basic education before beginning his artistic training at age 14 under the local painter José Luzán y Martínez in Zaragoza, where he sp...