If Two to One, Stuff Your Arse with Straw, from Los Proverbios Possibly 1815 - 1877

Curator: The moment my gaze fell upon this piece, it felt like walking into a fever dream—all shadows and stark expressions, utterly captivating! Editor: Indeed! What you are reacting to is "If Two to One, Stuff Your Arse with Straw," an etching by Francisco de Goya, likely created sometime between 1815 and 1823, and now residing here at the Art Institute of Chicago. Curator: "Stuff Your Arse with Straw"—that’s quite a provocative title, isn’t it? It really prepares you for the rawness within the image. Tell me more about why he chose this title for this work. Editor: Well, the "Proverbios," or "Proverbs," series is characterized by obscurity and ambiguity. What you see here are multiple figures, the clear oppressor holding up a weapon over his head ready to beat these huddled individuals that he deems beneath him. It's believed Goya was influenced by political oppression under the restored monarchy. Curator: Oppression—absolutely. The composition, with its figures clumped together, evokes an incredible sense of claustrophobia, doesn't it? As though they're physically weighed down by dread. Editor: The dense composition and the limited tonal range definitely heighten that effect, reinforcing a sense of societal burden and inequity. Look at how some faces appear vacant while others are full of rage. Curator: Right! I'm also struck by the dynamism Goya manages to create with etching, particularly in the man with the sword. He feels both imposing and unhinged. A symbol of power teetering on the edge of madness, perhaps? Editor: I think that’s a perceptive observation. It speaks to the psychological tension Goya so powerfully captured throughout his career. And this psychological element ties into the broader Romantic movement, with its exploration of intense emotions and the sublime. Curator: Knowing all that now—it still has this deeply unsettling, dare I say, contemporary resonance about it, doesn’t it? Goya peered right into our own age, somehow! Editor: I concur. "If Two to One…" resonates even today, compelling us to interrogate entrenched power structures and societal biases. Curator: Well, what a whirlwind. A punch to the gut of a proverb turned art—that's Goya for you. Editor: Indeed, a hauntingly powerful and perennially relevant glimpse into the human condition.