The Tobacco Guards

Cartoon presented on January 24, 1780. Goya describes the painting as follows: "...it shows 5 tobacco guards: 2 sitting down and relaxing, and one standing and talking. Behind, 2 men are on a riverbank looking out over the river. Two of the men are holding the weapons they usually carry. It is 4 feet and 13 fingers wide, and as tall as the previous ones. Its value is 3,500 Spanish reals." ("...representa cinco guardas de rentas de Tabaco dos sentados descansando y uno en pie dándoles combersazion, a mas distanzia reconoziendo el terreno se ben dos a la orilla de un Rio dos de ellos con todas las armas q.e regularmen.te lleban. Su ancho quatro pies y treze dedos alto como los antezedentes, su balor tres mil y quinientos rr.s vellon.").

One of the three tapestries was acquired by Don Pedro Acuña and was bequeathed in 1814, along with the rest of his collection. The other two hangings are part of the National Heritage collections and kept at the Royal Palaces in Madrid and El Escorial.