Bien tirada está. 1796 - 1797

This is "Bien tirada está", an etching by Francisco de Goya. Notice the composition, dominated by stark contrasts and dramatic lighting. The artist uses a limited tonal range to create a scene charged with tension and complexity. The image is structured around the juxtaposition of youth and age, beauty and decay, innocence and experience. The curve of the young woman contrasts with the angular lines of the old woman's hunched posture. The sharp contrast between light and shadow is not merely aesthetic, it serves to destabilize our perceptions of the figures. The contrast accentuates not only the physical but also the conceptual differences represented by the two figures. Goya challenges the viewer to question the nature of beauty, morality, and social values. There are no fixed meanings, and no clear answers. The work suggests that the artist engages with the changing social and intellectual landscape of his time. It emphasizes a commitment to revealing the hidden structures of power and desire.