Bidspirit auction | FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE GOYA Y

FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE GOYA Y LUCIENTES (Fuendetodos, Zaragoza, 1746 – Bordeaux, 1828) - It is better to be idle (Los Caprichos, plate no. 11) - Etching on paper. From the eleventh edition printed by the National Chalcography from the original plates. Image dimensions: 29 x 23 cm. Paper dimensions: 39 x 33 cm. This print corresponds to Capricho No. 11 from the celebrated series Los Caprichos, published by Francisco de Goya in 1799 and considered one of the masterpieces of European printmaking. Entitled ”It's Better to Idle,” the artist presents a satirical critique of late 18th-century Spanish society through a scene laden with irony and symbolism. The composition depicts a young woman standing next to a hooded old procuress and a seated man interacting with both figures, creating an image that alludes to idleness, prostitution, and moral corruption—recurring themes within the critical universe of Los Caprichos. As in much of the series, Goya employs an apparent genre scene to construct a profound reflection on human vices and the social contradictions of his time. The Caprichos series constitutes a turning point in the history of Western art, combining the satirical tradition of the Enlightenment with a visionary imagination that anticipates later artistic movements. Through etching and aquatint, techniques he mastered with extraordinary skill, Goya achieved a tonal richness and expressive freedom unprecedented in the printmaking of his era. The prints in the series reflect the influence of the Spanish Enlightenment, while also revealing the artist's deeply personal and critical vision of superstition, ignorance, and the abuses of contemporary society. This copy is from the eleventh edition printed by the National Chalcography, the institution that holds Goya's original plates and is responsible for the authorized printing of his major graphic series. These official prints, obtained directly from the historical matrices preserved by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, guarantee the highest technical and artistic fidelity to the original conception of the Aragonese master and constitute a fundamental testimony for the dissemination and preservation of his graphic legacy.