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Disparate Alegre (Merry Folly)

Francisco GoyaCirca 1816 - Circa 1817

Cincinnati Art Museum

Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati, United States

As a young man, Francisco José Goya y Lucientes witnessed the Enlightenment’s promise of socioeconomic betterment and ecclesiastical reform, then saw it extinguished under Ferdinand VII. Goya's series of prints titled "Los Disparates" (ca. 1816–17; “Follies” in English), which were never published during Goya’s lifetime because of the uncertain political climate, remain shrouded in mystery. In these prints, Goya distilled, transformed, and twisted each subject’s social, political, and religious significance until it defied explanation. The evocative titles and innovative themes are the most ambiguous and enigmatic of any of his print series. None of the plates is dated, nor can they be identified with external events.

In 1823, fearing that his prints would compromise his safety after Ferdinand VII revoked Spain’s constitution for the second time, Goya hid his plates in his country home, along with those for "Disasters of War." He fled Spain in 1824. The plates were discovered by Goya’s grandson in 1854, and ten years later the Academia de San Fernando published an edition of eighteen of the "Disparates" plates under the title "Los Proverbios."

Details

  • Title: Disparate Alegre (Merry Folly)
  • Creator: Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, b.1746, d.1828)
  • Creator Lifespan: 1746/1828
  • Creator Nationality: Spanish
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Bordeaux, France
  • Creator Birth Place: Fuendetodos, Spain
  • Date Created: Circa 1816 - Circa 1817
  • Location: Spain
  • Location Created: Spain
  • Physical Dimensions: platemark 9 1/2 x 13 15/16 in. (24.3 x 35.4 cm) on sheet 10 7/8 x 15 1/4 in. (27.6 x 38.8 cm)
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Herbert Greer French
  • Alternate Titles: Trois Majos Et Trois Majas Dansant; Si Marina Baylo, Tome Lo Que Hallo [If Marion will dance, then she has to take the consequences]; Disparates; Los Proverbios
  • Accession Number: 1943.526
  • Type: Print
  • Medium: etching, burnished aquatint, and drypoint- 1st state of 3 (before the number 12 in upper right hand corner)

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