Don't Scream, Silly 18th-19th century

Editor: This is Francisco Goya’s etching, "Don't Scream, Silly." It's...well, it's unsettling. There's a frantic energy with these rather grotesque figures. How do you even begin to interpret something like this? Curator: Ah, Goya. Unsettling is his brand, isn't it? I see a satire, a dark commentary on superstition and the vulnerability of women. Goya was poking fun at the ridiculous beliefs of his time. What do *you* see beyond the initial shock? Editor: I guess I see...fear? But the title suggests it's silly, like the fear isn't justified. So, is it about societal pressures making women appear irrational? Curator: Precisely! It's a dance between terror and the absurd, a reminder that sometimes, the monsters we fear are of our own making. We often scream at shadows, don't we? Editor: Wow, I hadn't thought about it that way. It really changes my perspective, from just seeing a scary image to seeing a social critique. Curator: Art has a funny way of doing that, doesn't it? It's like looking into a mirror – we often see ourselves reflected back.