Plate 16 from ‘Los Caprichos’:For heaven’s sake: and it was her mother (Dios la Perdone: Y era su madre)

Description

In For Heaven’s Sake: And It Was Her Mother, an elegantly dressed woman faces a bent, hooded older woman. The contrast in bearing makes the encounter immediately unequal, while the title introduces a family relationship that changes how the distance between them is understood. Goya brings social appearance into conflict with an obligation that cannot be erased by dress.

Plate 16 of Los Caprichos combines etching, aquatint and drypoint to give the small encounter a concentrated presence. Its satirical force lies in the gap between what a person wishes to display and the human connection she may wish to conceal. The work remains compelling through that recognizable tension, making a meeting between two figures question how pride can distort the act of acknowledging another.

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