Caprichos

Caprichos, also known as Los Caprichos, is a series of eighty etchings and aquatints by the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya. Created between 1797 and 1799 and published in 1799 in Madrid, the works present a broad satire of late 18th-century Spanish society. They target superstition, ignorance, moral laxity, and social hypocrisy, including critiques of the Inquisition, the clergy, the aristocracy, and the crowd. The imagery blends fantastical and nightmarish elements, with figures wearing masks or enmeshed in folly, and many plates depict the consequences of collective credulity and vice. The best-known plate is El sueño de la razón produce monstruos (The sleep of reason produces monsters), which encapsulates the series’ central idea.

The Caprichos were produced using etching with aquatint, allowing rich tonal contrasts, and many plates are hand colored. The collection comprises 80 individual prints, each with a Spanish caption. The works are regarded as an important early example of social satire in Western art and as a precursor to modern graphic critique.

Today, Los Caprichos are held in major museum collections, most notably the Museo del Prado in Madrid, and are widely studied for their technical innovation and social commentary. The series has influenced later artists and remains a reference point for discussions of political dissent, censorship, and the role of art in social critique in the late Enlightenment era in Spain.