Sad forebodings of what is to come
Technical details
Author:
Francisco de Goya y Lucientes
Title:
Sad forebodings of what is to come
Timeline:
1810-1814, published in 1863
Technique:
Aquafortis, drypoint, burin and burnisher
Description
The striking image of the print that opens the Desastres, which Goya would have made late in the series, in 1814–1815, at the time of his Caprichos Enfáticos ("Emphatic Caprices"), comes as a tremendous shock to the sensibilities of the viewer. A man kneels in the gloom, arms open in a gesture of despair, as he looks towards the heavens and wonders: what reason is there for the disaster facing Spain and the Spanish people?
By his posture, the protagonist is a secular forerunner for the religious version of Christ in Christ on the Mount of Olives, a small painting that Goya would present to the Escolapio priests at the San Antón School in Madrid.
Location in the museum
You may find this artwork on Floor 2 Goya’s Etchings