Against the Common Good c. 18th century

Editor: So, here's "Against the Common Good" by Goya. It's a small print, but the imagery is intense. It's got this creature, maybe a demon, engrossed in a book... it feels like a dark fairytale. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, Goya! He saw shadows, didn’t he? "Against the Common Good"... it speaks to the corruption of enlightenment ideals, perhaps. That creature, hunched over knowledge, hoarding it, not sharing it. What price progress, if it's only for a few? Editor: So, it's not just a monster, but a commentary? Curator: Precisely! It's a perversion of learning. Goya’s asking us: Whose "good" are we really serving? Food for thought, isn't it? Editor: Definitely. It makes you see the image in a whole new light. Curator: Exactly. Art's not just pretty pictures, it's a conversation!