Little Bulls' Folly, from "The Disparates" (Disparates, Plate D)

Art Historical Context

Francisco de Goya y Luc, one of Spain's greatest artists, created *Little Bulls' Folly (Disparates, Plate D around 1815–19 as part of his enigmatic series *The Disparates (also called *Los Proverbios These 22 prints, during Goya's lifetime due to his failing health and political turmoil in Spain, were finally released in 1877. Produced in the shadow of the Napoleonic Wars and Goya's own descent into deafness and disillusionment, the series brims with surreal, nightmarish visions satirizing human folly, superstition, and societal madness—fitting for a plate tagged with "bulls," evoking Spain's cultural obsession with bullfighting as a metaphor for reckless bravado. Goya's mastery of printmaking shines here through etching for precise lines, aquatint for moody tonal depths, and drypoint for rich, velvety textures. Measuring about 9⅝ × 13¾ inches on the plate, this work captures chaotic energy in a compact format, allowing intricate details to unfold upon close viewing. The "folly" likely depicts absurd or menacing bull-like figures, amplifying Goya's critique of irrationality in an age of enlightenment's failures. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Grace M. Pugh, 1985), *Little Bulls' Folly* exemplifies Goya's shift from Romanticism toward proto-modern expressionism, influencing later surrealists. It's a haunting reminder of how art can probe the absurdities of the human condition.

About the Artist

François Liénard|Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) (French|French) · 1813 |1860 –1894 |1890

French, Paris 1813–1894 Paris|