A pretty piece of advice (Bellos consejos), plate 15 from "Los Caprichos"
An old woman whispers into the ear of a young woman in a black mantilla: A pretty piece of advice, plate 15 of Goya's Los Caprichos. Full commentary ↓
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A pretty piece of advice (Bellos consejos), plate 15 from "Los Caprichos" is a print by Goya (1799) in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It measures 21.6 × 15.1 cm.
In the pictureA young woman seated on a chair, wearing a black lace mantilla, looks straight ahead, while an old woman seated beside her leans over and whispers something in her ear. Behind them is another chair, and the background is gray aquatint. Below is the title "Bellos consejos."
BackgroundThe mantilla, the black lace head scarf of Spanish women, is a recurring prop in Goya's prints. The old woman's "pretty advice" is a procuress's counsel to the young woman to seduce a rich man, and the same characters appear as in the plate Bien tirada está (It is nicely stretched). The young woman's expressionless face makes the satire all the colder.
Puzzle tipThe image divides into the black mantilla, the bright faces and the gray background. Fit the two faces and the lace pieces of the mantilla first, then use the straight pieces of the chairs to fix positions. Frame the border with the pieces of blank paper margin. 24 or 48 pieces work well.
- Artist
- Spanish, Fuendetodos 1746–1828 Bordeaux
- Classification
- Prints
- Medium
- Etching, burnished aquatint, burin
- Dimensions
- 21.6 × 15.1 cm
- Credit line
- Gift of Walter E. Sachs, 1916
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗
Stories about this work
- The Procuress and the Young Woman Who Keep Returning in Goya's Los Caprichos
From the superstition of pulling teeth to goblins at dawn. Following the story of the old woman and the young woman who recur in Los Caprichos through four plates.
