A man and a woman riding a mule c. 1812 - 1820

Francisco Goya made this ink wash drawing, "A man and a woman riding a mule," at an unknown date. It depicts a man and woman on a mule. Consider the context in which Goya worked. Spain at the time was a deeply traditional society, yet the enlightenment was gaining a foothold. Institutions like the Church and the aristocracy held immense power and Goya's work often questioned established social norms. We see it in his unflinching portraits of the Royal family and the critical eye with which he surveys popular entertainments. "A man and a woman riding a mule" seems at first glance to be a simple scene, but look closer, and it may tell us something about the artist's attitude toward traditional Spanish life. Are they fleeing a threat? Are they simply traveling? The meaning of the artwork can only be found by tracing the complex interplay of Spanish culture and institutional history. And as historians, we turn to letters, documents, and other records, and we see that Goya's world was never simple.