Masquerade or Masked dancers under an arch

Is one of the small pieces in which Goya reflected the whimsical inventions or caprichos (caprices) that emerged from both his imagination and his critical view of reality. Four dancers, two men in carnival costumes and two women dressed with aristocratic elegance, dance under what appears to be the arch of a bridge. They are painted with spontaneous and light brushstrokes. In the darkness to the left a number of poor people are sitting on the ground; they have obviously made a home for themselves under the bridge. They form a night and day contrast with the group dancing with a festive mood; it seems that carnival is unable to release the poor from their misfortune and sorrows.