FRANCISCO DE GOYA Y LUCIENTES (1746-1828)

Bravo! (Brabisimo!), Plate 38 from: Los Caprichos

Details

FRANCISCO DE GOYA Y LUCIENTES (1746-1828)
Bravo! (Brabisimo!), Plate 38 from: Los Caprichos
etching with burnished aquatint, drypoint and engraving, circa 1797-98,on laid paper, without watermark, a very good impression from the First Edition, published by the artist, Madrid, 1799, with wide margins, generally in very good condition
Plate 216 x 149 mm.
Sheet 298 x 203 mm.

Provenance

Presumably Manuel Fernández Durán y Pando, Marqués de Perales del Río (1818-1886), Madrid.
Don Pedro Fernández-Durán (1846-1930), Madrid; with his stamp (Lugt 747b); presumably by descent from the above.
Don Tomas de la Maza y Saavedra (1896-1975); gift from the above.
With Herman Shickman Fine Arts, New York.
With Stuart Denenberg, Los Angeles.
Private American Collection; acquired from the above.

Literature

Delteil 75; Harris 73

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

‘In this work, a monkey strums the back of a guitar (thus, no strings!) and appears to be much appreciated by the donkey. Two figures in the background appear to be making fun of the scene. The title of Brabisimo! is further clarified by the Madrid Biblioteca Nacional text: ‘When it is fashionable, even donkeys applaud bad music when others come and say brabismo'. (Eleanor) Sayre points out that some texts identify Manuel Godoy, Queen Maria-Luisa's lover, with the monkey and the donkey with King Carlos IV. However, Godoy also could have been associated with the donkey. In either case, this print could be seen possibly as ridiculing the musical evenings organized by Godoy for the king and queen.’

Johnson, R. S., Francisco Goya, Los Caprichos, R.S. Johnson Fine Art, Chicago, 1992, p. 102.

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