Unos a otros - Francisco de Goya

A satirical etching from Goya's Los Caprichos series, depicting skeletal figures in a cycle of mutual exploitation.

Unos a otros (One to Another) is the seventy-seventh plate from Los Caprichos, a series of eighty prints published by Francisco de Goya in 1799. This work employs etching and aquatint to convey a biting social critique. The image depicts a group of skeletal, aged figures engaged in a cycle of mutual exploitation. One figure carries another on his back, while a third figure, also burdened, leans heavily on a staff. The composition is dense, focusing on the physical strain and the grotesque nature of the subjects.

Goya uses the aquatint process to create soft, atmospheric shadows that contrast with the sharp, biting lines of the etching. This technique allows for a range of grey tones, which adds a sense of depth and gloom to the scene. The figures, dressed in the remnants of eighteenth-century finery, appear as caricatures of the Spanish aristocracy and clergy. Their hollow eyes and gaunt features suggest a decay that is both physical and moral.

The title, Unos a otros, refers to the Spanish idiom for people who rely on or exploit each other in a parasitic fashion. By presenting these figures as walking corpses, Goya suggests that the social structures of his time are inherently hollow and self-destructive. The print is devoid of background detail, which forces the viewer to focus entirely on the interaction between the figures. This lack of context amplifies the sense of isolation and absurdity. As a master of the print medium, Goya utilised these works to challenge the superstitions and social injustices he observed in Spain. This particular plate remains a clear example of his ability to blend dark humour with a cynical view of human nature. The print is a museum-grade reproduction, capturing the fine tonal variations of the original copper plate.