El de la rollona - Francisco de Goya

A satirical etching from Goya's Los Caprichos series, depicting a grown man acting as a spoiled child to critique societal immaturity.

This print is the fourth plate from Los Caprichos, a series of eighty etchings published by Francisco de Goya in 1799. The work employs a combination of etching and aquatint to create a stark, atmospheric scene. It depicts a grown man, dressed in infant clothing, being carried on the back of another figure. The title, El de la rollona, refers to a spoiled child or a mother's boy, serving as a biting critique of societal immaturity and the indulgence of the aristocracy.

Goya uses the aquatint process to achieve a range of grey tones, which provides a sense of depth and shadow within the sparse interior. The man in the foreground exhibits a grotesque, exaggerated expression, his hands held near his mouth in a gesture of infantile dependency. The figure carrying him remains largely obscured, their posture suggesting the burden of this social absurdity. The composition is deliberately theatrical, focusing the viewer's attention on the central pair against a dark, nondescript background.

As a master of the print medium, Goya utilised these works to explore human folly, superstition, and the corruption of contemporary Spanish society. The series functions as a visual commentary on the moral failings of the time, moving away from the formal portraiture that defined his earlier career. This specific plate demonstrates his ability to blend caricature with technical precision. The contrast between the light-toned figures and the dark, moody background creates a sense of unease. It remains a clear example of Goya's shift towards more personal, critical subject matter during his later years. The print is a fine specimen of eighteenth-century graphic art, demonstrating the expressive potential of aquatint in conveying complex social narratives.