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A work made of etching, burnished aquatint and burin on ivory laid paper.

Out Hunting for Teeth, plate twelve from Los Caprichos

1797/99

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes Spanish, 1746-1828

Spain

Goya produced his Caprices, a series of 88 prints, between 1797 and 1799. Here, he satirizes love’s ability to drive a person to foolishness. A terrorized young woman stands on her toes on a ledge. With one hand she shields herself with a handkerchief, and with the other she pulls teeth from a hanged corpse, which she will use to cast a love spell. The tonal values achieved by aquatint highlight the lifeless body’s countenance as well as the young woman’s handkerchief. Goya may be referring to a traditional star-crossed romance, La Celestina, in which the tooth-potion goes awry.

Etching, burnished aquatint and burin on ivory laid paper

Prints and Drawings