Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig

The fourth and fifth instalments of the series Graphics in Focus present the graphic work of the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya (1746 Fuendetodos, province of Zaragoza – 1828 Bordeaux). A successful court painter, portraitist and academy director in Madrid, Goya was also a passionate graphic artist. He collected prints himself, including works by Rembrandt and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, and worked as a graphic artist for the free market, particularly between 1797 and 1825. During this intensive creative phase, he created his four extensive print cycles: 'Los Caprichos' (1799), 'Los Desastres de la Guerra' (1820), 'La Tauromaquia' (1816) and 'Los Disparates' (1824).

The first part of the exhibition presents 'Los Disparates' and etchings after Velázquez. 'Los Desastres de la Guerra', on loan from the LETTER Foundation in Cologne, will be exhibited in a display case, as the series is bound as a book. The plan is to open a new page every week. Goya's 'Los Caprichos' will be presented in the second part of the exhibition in spring 2026.

During his lifetime, Goya was only able to publish two series of prints: 'Los Caprichos' and 'La Tauromaquia'. He made proofs of all his works and stored them safely. He sold some of the printing plates during his lifetime, while others remained in the family's possession and were only sold later. Consequently, the graphic cycles were printed and distributed in various editions many decades after his death. Interest in Goya among collectors outside Spain began to grow in the second half of the 19th century.

In 1900, the MdbK acquired the series of prints 'Los Disparates', most likely using funds from the Leipziger Kunstverein e. V. Goya was around 70 years old when he started working on his final series, which he abruptly ended in 1824 when he fled Spain. 22 etched copper plates are known to exist. Due to political and personal circumstances, he was unable to produce an authorised edition during his lifetime; he only produced proofs. The plates remained in Spain. The series of prints was not offered in its first publication until 1864 under the title 'Los Proverbios' (Proverbs), comprising 18 sheets. Further plates were published in 1877 by the French magazine L' Art with independent titles. At the beginning of the 20th century, proofs of the series were found, some of which had handwritten titles that were certainly by Goya. Beginning with the word 'Disparate de' (Folly of), the title 'Los Disparates' (Follies) came to prevail for the series. In this series, Goya presents a world full of follies and absurdities that can be visualised in art yet remain mysterious.

25 years later, the MdbK acquired Goya's best-known work to date, the 80-sheet etching cycle ‘Los Caprichos’. This outstanding first edition comes from the collection of the Viennese art collector Julius Hofmann (1840–1913). It was on display in a cabinet exhibition at the MdbK a few months before the acquisition. Goya used the works to critically comment on Spain's social and political issues. Current problems such as poverty, sexuality, prostitution, and the outdated class consciousness of the nobility are addressed. Through these prints, Goya revealed himself to be an artist who could turn his personal experiences, fears, and concerns into themes. Initially, only 27 of the 300 copies of the first and only contemporary edition of the ‘Caprichos’ were sold. 

For this series of prints, Goya used aquatint, a process that had been popularised in 1768 by the French artist Jean-Baptiste Le Prince (1734–1781). Unlike etching or engraving, this etching technique enables the creation of surfaces rather than surface-forming elements with lines, hatching or dots. To the eye, aquatints appear more like washed ink or sepia drawings. Goya combined etching with aquatinting, and sometimes retouched his compositions with an etching needle. The artist developed the graphic techniques freely, driven by his love of imagery and artistic intentions. He created disturbing and drastic black-and-white images that inspired numerous artists, including Max Klinger (1857–1920) from Leipzig, from whose estate Goya's early etchings (1778/79) after paintings by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599–1669) came into from Leipzig. Goya's early etchings (1778/79) after paintings by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599–1669) came into the Leipzig collection from Klinger's estate.

The continuation of the presentation Francisco de Goya - Etchings #2 will be exhibited from 26/02/2026-07/06/2026.