Little goblins 1799

"Little Goblins" is a small print by Francisco de Goya. It was made using aquatint—a printmaking technique that allows for a wide range of tonal effects. Goya lived through a period of immense social and political upheaval in Spain. His work often critiques the corruption and hypocrisy he witnessed. Here, the goblins—or "duendecitos" in Spanish—with their grotesque features and debauched behavior, seem to mock the social elites of Goya's time. Their confinement within what appears to be a prison hints at the moral and physical constraints that Goya believed were imposed by society. These little figures, caught in their revelry, become a darkly humorous reflection of the human condition. They remind us of our capacity for both joy and degradation. Their presence challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about power and the darker aspects of human nature.