Ya van desplumados. 1796 - 1797

Editor: Here we have Goya's etching and aquatint, "Ya van desplumados," from 1796-1797, which roughly translates to "There they go, plucked." It's… well, it's rather unsettling. What jumps out at you when you look at this work? Curator: Unsettling is spot on, wouldn't you agree? This print, one of Goya's "Los Caprichos," speaks volumes about power, hypocrisy, and perhaps, the follies of society. It is the whispering voices of the oppressed, isn't it? Those "plucked" creatures, resembling humans with bird-like bodies, seem to me metaphors for those stripped of their dignity. And the women with their brooms... are they agents of this "plucking"? Are they enforcers, complicit in maintaining a corrupt social order? What do you make of their expressions? Editor: I notice the contrasts - the younger women seem almost complicit, like you said, while the older ones are positively sinister. There’s a real sense of violence lurking beneath the surface. Who exactly is Goya criticizing here? Curator: Ah, that's the delicious ambiguity of Goya! It could be aimed at the aristocracy, the church, societal norms… pick your poison! It reflects the tumultuous period he was living in – the decline of the Spanish Empire, the rise of Enlightenment ideals clashing with tradition, and rampant social inequalities. Even the "flying" figure adds to the sense of surreal, nightmarish allegory. Isn’t it all a bit dreamlike, like when you try to swat a fly in a bizarre nightmare? Editor: Absolutely. It feels like a distorted reflection of reality, like he's holding a mirror up to society and revealing its ugliness. But in a bizarre, kind of unsettling, yet beautiful way. Curator: Beautifully put. Perhaps beauty can be found even in the darkest corners of social commentary.