Miren que grabes! - Francisco de Goya

A satirical etching from Goya's Los Caprichos series, depicting grotesque hybrid figures to mock the self-importance of the Spanish elite.

This etching, titled Miren que grabes! (Look how serious they are!), is plate 63 from Francisco de Goya's celebrated series, Los Caprichos. Published in 1799, this collection of eighty prints functions as a biting social commentary on the follies, superstitions, and moral failings of late eighteenth-century Spanish society. Goya employs his mastery of etching and aquatint to create a scene that is both absurd and unsettling.

The composition depicts two hybrid, monstrous figures engaged in a bizarre interaction. One creature, possessing the head of a bird of prey and a human torso, sits atop a donkey-like figure, while another anthropomorphic beast with long, drooping ears looks on with a solemn, almost mournful expression. The title, inscribed at the bottom, provides a layer of irony: the figures appear grave and self-important, yet their physical forms are grotesque and ridiculous. By blending human characteristics with animal features, Goya mocks the pomposity of the aristocracy and the clergy, suggesting that their outward displays of seriousness mask a deeper, inherent foolishness.

Goya's technique here is precise. The fine lines of the etching define the textures of fur and feathers, while the subtle use of aquatint provides depth to the shadows and the barren background. The lack of a defined setting forces the viewer to focus entirely on the interaction between the figures. This print is a prime example of Goya's ability to use satire as a vehicle for social critique. It avoids didacticism, instead presenting a visual puzzle that invites the viewer to consider the nature of authority and the performative aspects of social status. The work remains a sharp observation of human behaviour, stripped of its usual pretences.