Who Would Have Believed It? 18th-19th century

Editor: This is "Who Would Have Believed It?" by Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. It's an etching, and the mood is… intense, maybe even nightmarish. What strikes you most about it? Curator: Well, aren't we all a bit monstrous sometimes, deep down? Goya really knew how to scratch at the surface of polite society and reveal the beast within. Look at that grotesque figure devouring... innocence? Ambition? It's a raw, uncomfortable truth, isn't it? Editor: It is! I hadn't thought of it as a social commentary, more of a personal nightmare. Curator: Maybe it's both. Goya often blurred those lines. After all, aren't our personal demons often reflections of the world around us? Editor: That makes you think about the piece on so many levels; I appreciate that. Curator: Always a pleasure to connect the dots, especially when they’re painted in such stark, unsettling ink.