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Francisco Goya from the series- Los Proverbios: Disparate de Carnabal (Carnival Folly)#14 PC-89 Los Proverbios: Sanan Cuchilladas ( Exhortations) #16 before
1824 , aquatint/etching,
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Disparates was one of the last print series that Goya executed. In
fact, he never finished the series. He was forced to abandon it when he
went into exile in France after the overthrow of the revolutionary regime
in 1824. The twenty-two etchings that comprise the group were done during
the period of 1814-1824 and follow the same thematic scheme as the Caprichos
of 1799. Like the Black Paintings and the later plates of the Disasters
of War series, the etchings from Los Disparates are bathed in
a dark, gloomy atmosphere. Goya never lived to see his plates of the Disparates
series published. The Academia de San Fernando published eighteen of the
plates in 1864 under the title Los Proverbios, because many of the prints
could be related to or explained by popular Spanish proverbs. Thirteen
years later, the other four plates were added to complete the set.
To call the series proverbs is misleading since the actual translation of the root "dispar" is "without a rational parity or equivalent." One scholar deemed the best translation of the Spanish word "disparates" to be "incongruities." This translation is an apt title for the etchings that so closely parallel the oddity and complexity of the Caprichos. The themes seen in Los Disparates vary and cover such subjects as greed, hate, and stupidity. The presence of people with masks, clowns, and wild dances suggests that the scenes are happening at the time of Carnival, the chaotic pre-Lenten celebration when normal life is turned upside-down. In print number 88, which was the fourteenth print in the first publication, the connection to Carnival is obvious and is reflected in its title. The caption, which translates into "Folly at the Carnival", was included in the original print, but many are not convinced that it is actually Goya's own addition. The theme of the print is somewhat obscure, but has been explained by a proverb that closely resembles Goya's intention. The proverb "Rejoice, carnival, for tomorrow thou wilt be ashes" would seem to explain the wild dancing, frolicking and carousing of the people, but also considers Goya's emphasis on the absurdity of the situation. Number 89, which was sixteenth in the original version, is even harder to explain than the previous print. This is due in part to the fact that it bore no original Spanish caption. To interpret the scene, it would again be helpful to use the proverb which best illustrates it, "Wounds heal quicker than hasty words." The anger and fear present on the woman's face is perhaps an indirect consequence of the callous, "exhortations" of the people around her. As one man ineffectually preaches to her, she is being threatened by many-faced devils and flying creatures. K.
H.
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