Plate 17 from ‘Los Caprichos’: It is nicely stretched (Bien tirada está.)

Description

A young woman adjusts her stocking while an older figure remains close by, turning a private detail of dressing into a scene of observation. Francisco Goya’s It Is Nicely Stretched makes the leg and the attentive gesture central to its compact arrangement. The apparent simplicity of the action leaves room for a sharper consideration of display and scrutiny.

Published in 1799 as plate 17 of Los Caprichos, the etching and burnished aquatint explore the social world surrounding the young woman’s appearance. Light and dark tones distinguish the figures while drawing attention to the act of preparation. The caption’s approval can sound admiring or calculating, giving the scene an unsettled intimacy. Goya makes the ordinary adjustment of clothing suggest the larger pressures placed on a body that is being made ready to be seen.