She Who Is Ill Wed Never Misses a Chance to Say So [Disorderly Folly] c. 1813 - 1820

Editor: Right, so here we have Francisco Goya’s etching, "She Who Is Ill Wed Never Misses a Chance to Say So," from around 1813-1820, part of his "Disparates" series. I’m struck by the...almost grotesque figures and the dark, chaotic feeling of the piece. What's your read on this chaotic scene? Curator: Oh, Goya! He’s like the uncle everyone avoids at Thanksgiving, but secretly, you admire his audacity. The "Disparates," or "Follies," are his late-life head-scratchers, wouldn't you agree? Goya had a fever dream here. What do YOU see happening in it? It feels, doesn’t it, like a descent into the irrational—look at the grotesque figures and the oppressive darkness! Is there an indictment here of something that society doesn’t dare to express? Editor: Yes, absolutely, and I'd agree it certainly leaves you wondering what it is exactly Goya might be trying to hint at...maybe the artist thought that being sick and talking about your ailments can drive other mad? Curator: Ha! It feels…personal, doesn't it? Etching lent itself perfectly to this private exorcism of demons...the way he's scraped and bitten the plate; that’s emotion given a physical form. Do you think that it's aimed simply at society, or might he be trying to tell the audience of an illness and disorder closer to home? It isn't easy, is it, to decide what those hidden nightmares are aimed at. Editor: You're right, that sense of intimacy from the artist almost feels like he is sharing his demons, his fears, and how disease might be the real ill-being that haunts us all, both the sufferer and the onlooker. It seems there are more interpretations here the more you dig! Curator: Yes! It's like whispering a secret, or revealing the thing you should not. I'll keep that perspective in mind.