Without Commending Himself Either to God or the Devil: Clear Folly 18th-19th century

Curator: This is "Without Commending Himself Either to God or the Devil: Clear Folly" by Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's immediately striking how the figures are shrouded, almost suffocated, beneath this oppressive dark mass. What is its material? Curator: Indeed, the composition invites such questions. The "dark mass" as you call it, could represent ignorance or oppression, a visual device Goya employs often. Observe how it dominates the pictorial space. Editor: And how the huddled figures seem to prop it up, complicit perhaps in maintaining its weight. The etching process seems crucial here, lending itself to such stark contrast. Curator: Precisely, etching allows for that dramatic chiaroscuro, heightening the emotional impact. The title itself hints at a moral ambiguity, a rejection of both divine and diabolical guidance. Editor: So, trapped in a material reality of their own making, with no higher power to intervene. Interesting... Seeing the labor embedded in the printmaking adds another layer to its bleak message. Curator: A bleakness tempered, perhaps, by the very artistry that reveals it. Editor: Perhaps. It definitely seems to make the viewer ponder upon the folly depicted.