Look How Solemn They Are! 18th-19th century

Curator: Goya's etching, "Look How Solemn They Are!" hits you right in the gut, doesn't it? It's like a nightmare glimpsed through a dusty mirror. Editor: It’s unsettling, for sure. The figures are grotesque, almost bestial. Who are these figures, and what commentary is Goya offering here? Curator: Well, Goya was a master of social commentary. This is from his "Los Caprichos" series, where he skewers the follies of Spanish society. I see hypocrisy, the way we dress up our animal instincts in fancy robes of morality. Editor: Absolutely. The animalistic figures likely represent the clergy and aristocracy, revealing the corruption and irrationality masked by their supposed authority. The title itself suggests a critical gaze, a call to see through the facade. Curator: It makes you wonder who the real animals are, doesn't it? Perhaps it's all of us, caught in this ridiculous dance of power and pretense. Editor: Goya’s use of aquatint gives the print a haunting, dreamlike quality. It invites us to question the foundations of power, even today. Curator: It's like he's saying, "Wake up! See the absurd circus for what it is!" Goya, you sly dog. Editor: Yes, a potent reminder that power unchecked leads to the grotesque.