Plate 62 from "Los Caprichos": Who would have thought it? (Quien lo creyera!)

Art Historical Context

**Plate 62 from *Los Caprichos*:Who Would Have Thought It? (Quien lo creyera! by Francisco de Goya Lucientes (1799)** This striking etching from Goya's revolutionary series *Los Caprich* captures a surreal encounter between a lion and a male nude, evoking shock and irony through its title. Published amid Spain's turbulent late 18th century, 80-print suite boldly satirized societal vices, superstitions, and human folly during the Enlightenment era. Plate 62 exemplifies Goya's dark humor, prompting viewers to question unlikely alliances or hidden truths in a world of deception. Goya masterfully combined etching, burnished aquatint, and burin work to achieve dramatic tonal contrasts and velvety textures. Aquatint allowed moody shadows, while burnishing softened highlights for a painterly depth, and the burin added precise lines—innovations that elevated printmaking to fine art. At just 8 7/16 × 5 15/16 inches, its intimate scale draws visitors close, mirroring the personal sting of Goya's critique. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of M. Knoedler & Co., 1918), this work underscores Goya's legacy as a bridge from Rococo elegance to Romantic intensity, influencing modern social commentary in art. A timeless reminder: sometimes, the most improbable scenes reveal profound realities.

About the Artist

Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) · 1746–1828

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) was a Spanish painter and printmaker considered the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Rising from modest provincial origins to become First Court Painter to Charles IV, Goya's career spanned the Enlightenment's optimism and the brutal Napoleonic invasion that shattered it. A mysterious illness in 1793 left him permanently deaf and ...