A bad night (Mala noche), plate 36 from "Los Caprichos"
Two women stand in the dark as the night wind blows a skirt inside out: A Bad Night, plate 36 of Goya's Los Caprichos. Full commentary ↓
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A bad night (Mala noche), plate 36 from "Los Caprichos" is a print by Goya (1799) in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It measures 21.5 × 15 cm.
In the pictureAgainst an almost black background, a woman in white stands with her skirt and headscarf blown about by the wind, and beside her is another woman, bent over. At upper left is a shape like clouds swept along by the wind, and below is written the title "Mala noche." The number 36 appears in the paper margin.
BackgroundLos Caprichos is a set of 80 satirical prints Goya published in 1799, mocking the superstition and hypocrisy of Spanish society and the corruption of the clergy and nobility. This plate shows women of the night streets battered by the wind, a jab at the nighttime life of Madrid at the time. The contrast between the black night, made with aquatint, and the white dress is dramatic.
Puzzle tipMost of the pieces are black, and the white dress is the key. Fit the bright pieces of the white skirt and headscarf first, frame the edges with the paper margin and the plate border, then fill in the black pieces by their shapes. 24 pieces is recommended.
- Artist
- Spanish, Fuendetodos 1746–1828 Bordeaux
- Classification
- Prints
- Medium
- Etching, burnished aquatint
- Dimensions
- 21.5 x 15 cm
- Credit line
- Gift of Walter E. Sachs, 1916
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗
Stories about this work
- Los Caprichos: Goya's Satire in 80 Prints
Goya's print series that etched superstition, hypocrisy and the folly of the night streets in black aquatint. A different side of Goya from his bullfight prints.
