Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828), LOS DISPARATES, 1877 [D. 220-223; H. 266-269], suite

FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE GOYA Y LUCIENTES (1746-1828), SPANISH
LOS DISPARATES, 1877 [D. 220-223; H. 266-269]
etching burnished aquatint and drypoint on laid paper, with full margins

suite of 4 plates: "Que guerrero," "Otras leyes por el pueblo," "Una reina del circo," "Lluvia de toros"; for the series "Proverbios"; each print titled in Spanish and French, with the mention "Goya inv. et sc.," printed by François Liénard, Paris, inscribed lower right, published by revue l'Art, Paris, inscribed lower left

sheet 11.4 x 16.9 in — 29 x 43 cm

Provenance:
Craddock & Barnard, London, UK
Private Collection, Calgary, AB, acquired from the above in the 1980s

Literature:
Delteil 220, 221, 222, 223.
Harris 266, 267, 268, 269.

Note:
As mentioned in the catalogue raisonné made by Tomás Harris these four plates are additional plates prepared for the "Proverbios" series but unpublished until the late 19th century. The interpretation of the prints especially "Otras leyes por el pueblo" is according to Harris social and political: "This is one of the plates which reveals the difficulties involved in the interpretation of the compositions and the identification of the proverbs and sayings illustrated in them. It is one of four plates which were separated from the eighteen plates originally published in 1864, and which were first published in Paris by the periodical L'Art in 1887, with titles in Spanish and French engraved on the plates. The title given to this plate was "Otras leyes por el pueblo - Autres lois pour le peuple", and the scene was clearly interpreted as a political allegory with the elephant, a symbol of the large and powerful mass of the people, being cajoled into accepting laws which would restrain its strength and bind it to the will of the ruling class."

The scene shows an elephant, his huge irregular bulk emphasiSed by the brilliantly lit space behind him, confronted by a group of four, very hesitant Moors. One shows the elephant an open book (of laws?) and holds out a "cascabel" or bell harness - the leather band covered with bells which is hung round the necks of mules and cattle which brings to mind the Spanish saying, "Poner el cascabel al gato" - to bell the cat, i.e. to undertake a very risky thing. The fable of the mice who held a meeting and decided that a bell must be attached to the murderous cat is included in the collection of fables (Book 3, Fable VIII), published in verse form by the Spanish poet, Félix Maria Samaniego (1745-1801); he entitled it, 'Congress of Mice', and ends with the comment: "They propose a plan which is without equal, they approve it, it's wonderful, but how to execute it? That is the whole story. There is little doubt that Goya is using this popular fable to illustrate some actual event of social or political significance." (1)

(1) Tomás Harris, Goya, Engravings and Lithographs I, Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, San Francisco, 1983, p. 192.

Estimate: $1,500—2,500