Shop art print and framed art The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters by Francisco de Goya

The etching El sueño de la razon produce monstruos (in French: Le sommeil de la raison engendre des monstres) is an engraving from the Los caprichos series by the Spanish painter Francisco de Goya. It is number 43 in the series of 80 engravings published in 1799. There are several contemporary manuscripts that explain the plates in the Caprichos series. The one in the Prado Museum is considered to be an autograph by Goya, but seems to be more concerned with concealing and finding a moralising meaning that masks the more risky meaning for the author. Two others, the one belonging to Ayala and the one in the National Library, emphasise the more caustic meaning of the plates. This print was originally intended to serve as the frontispiece to the entire series, initially called Sueños ("Songs", a reference to Francisco de Quevedo's Sueños y discursos), and was to be called Ydioma universal ("Universal language"), as one of the preparatory drawings indicates. Goya imagines himself asleep among his drawing tools, his mind dulled by sleep and tormented by creatures prowling in the dark. The print contains owls, which may be symbols of madness, and bats, symbolising ignorance. The artist's nightmare reflects his vision of Spanish society, which he depicts in Los Caprichos and which he sees as insane, corrupt and ripe for ridicule. The print measures 213 × 151 mm and was made on a 306 × 201 mm sheet of paper. Goya used etching and aquatint. The first preparatory drawing is in walnut [...]

 

This artwork is a poster from the classical period. It belongs to the classical print & engraving style.

 

« The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters » is kept at Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France.

 

Find the full description of The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters by Francisco de Goya on Wikipedia.