The Drunkards 18th-19th century

Curator: Goya's "The Drunkards" is an etching that explores, I think, the complicated relationship between the aristocracy and common people. Editor: It feels like a Bacchanalian revelry—a tipsy gathering with laughter, secrets, and perhaps a hint of danger lurking just beneath the surface. Curator: Indeed, it's a print based on Velázquez's painting of Bacchus. It depicts a scene of ordinary men surrounding the god of wine, but through Goya's eyes, there’s a sense of political undertones. The faces look quite cruel. Editor: Cruel, yes, but also desperate and deeply human. Goya has this way of capturing the shadow self—the parts we hide in the light. It is as if you can hear the loud music, the clinking glasses, the slurred words and boisterous laughter echoing through the scene. Curator: I agree. Goya masterfully uses aquatint to render tonal gradations, but he heightens the tension by casting light and shadow to show the human condition. Editor: Exactly. I find myself oddly drawn to it. It's a glimpse into a world where joy and despair dance together, forever intertwined.