Who painted Neither More Nor Less, Plate 41?

Neither More Nor Less, Plate 41 was painted by Francisco de Goya in 1799.

Where can I see Neither More Nor Less, Plate 41?

Neither More Nor Less, Plate 41 is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Neither More Nor Less, Plate 41?

Neither More Nor Less, Plate 41 is associated with Romanticism.

Neither More Nor Less, Plate 41 by Francisco de Goya (1799)

Accession no.: 1922.636
Credit line: Dudley P. Allen Fund

About this work

Try looking up the etching “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters” by Francisco de Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828).

This etching shows an old man in rags holding a small sign that reads “Ni más ni menos.” His face is lined deep with age and hardship. The background is plain white, so all focus stays on him and the sign.

Goya made this during a time when Spain was struggling. He often used his art to show the suffering of ordinary people. This print is part of a series that questions social inequality.

Try looking up the etching “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters” by Francisco de Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828).

Overview

Neither More Nor Less, Plate 41, is an etching and aquatint by Francisco de Goya created in 1799 as part of the Los Caprichos series. The work depicts a solitary, elderly figure dressed in tattered rags, standing against a stark white background that isolates the subject from any environmental context. The man holds a small placard inscribed with the phrase "Ni más ni menos" (Neither more nor less), a direct visual pun on the Spanish idiom.

Goya renders the figure with deep, expressive lines that emphasize the ravages of age and poverty, focusing the viewer's attention entirely on the character's weathered face and the ironic message of the sign. Produced during a period of social and political instability in Spain, the print reflects Goya's critical examination of human folly, superstition, and social decay. As the forty-first plate in the series, it exemplifies the artist's shift from court portraitist to a sharp social commentator, utilizing the print medium to disseminate his satirical observations to a broader public.

The work remains a significant example of Goya's mastery of light and shadow through aquatint to create atmospheric depth and psychological intensity.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents an elderly, rag‑clad figure clutching a modest placard that bears the words “Ni más ni menos.” The man’s deeply furrowed visage conveys a lifetime of hardship, while the stark white background isolates him, emphasizing his marginal status and the terse declaration of his existence.

Technique & Style

Created with the intaglio process of etching, the print relies on fine line work to render the subject’s weathered features and the crisp lettering of the sign. Goya’s restrained palette of black ink against a blank field heightens the contrast between the figure and the surrounding emptiness, a hallmark of his socially charged graphic oeuvre.

History & Provenance

The plate was produced in the late eighteenth century, a period when Goya was actively publishing series of prints that critiqued contemporary Spanish society. After changing hands among private collectors, the work entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings, where it remains accessible to scholars and the public.

Context

Goya created this image during a time of political and economic turbulence in Spain, marked by war, famine, and widespread poverty. The etching forms part of a broader visual commentary on social inequality, aligning with other works such as “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters,” which together expose the plight of ordinary citizens under oppressive conditions.