Tantalus
1796-1797
Francisco Goya’s etching 'Tantalo' (plate 9 from his famous 'Los Caprichos' series) offers a darkly comic take on the myth of Tantalus. Instead of reaching for unreachable fruit, we see a despairing older man covering his face while a young woman lies limp across his lap—perhaps representing desires that are forever out of reach or a relationship gone terribly wrong. Created in the late 1790s, this biting satire mocks the foolishness of old men pursuing young women, a recurring theme in Goya’s critique of Spanish society. The stark, scratchy lines of the etching perfectly capture the grim, awkward tension of the scene.
- Technique
- Etching and aquatint
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