‘He Wakes Up Kicking’; a man on the floor kicking his legs after waking from a nightmare; page 13 from the Witches and Old Women Album (D)

Description

A dreamer sprawls on the floor with his legs kicking in He Wakes Up Kicking. The body’s sudden movement makes the border between nightmare and waking feel unsettled, as fear continues through a physical response. Goya gives an inward experience an unmistakable outward shape, turning a private disturbance into a scene the viewer can witness.

The drawing from the Witches and Old Women Album combines black and gray washes with chalk and altered passages. Its force comes from the awkwardness of the body, which appears governed by an experience not visible in the room. The image remains engaging through that gap, showing how imagination can leave traces in ordinary bodily movement even after the imagined danger begins to recede.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Goya collection.