‘Loyalty’ from the ‘Disparates’ (Follies / Irrationalities)

Description

In Loyalty, Francisco Goya places a large-headed, barefoot figure on a chair amid a mocking crowd. The seated person clasps the hands and remains unusually still, while faces and gestures around him suggest ridicule rather than support. A small dog alone stays close to his feet. The central figure’s exposed composure contrasts with the busy, uncertain intentions of those surrounding him.

Created around 1815–1819 for the Disparates and published in 1864, the print tests the promise made by its title. Goya gives loyalty a modest animal form while making human companionship appear doubtful. The seated figure’s meaning remains open, and the scene resists reduction to a single medical or political interpretation. Two levels of aquatint shadow organize the crowded space, concentrating attention on isolation within an apparently social gathering.

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