Artwork
Esto es lo verdadero (This Is the Truth)
Esto es lo verdadero (This Is the Truth) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Francisco de Goya. It dates from 1815 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in plate, at upper left: 82; below plate at right in graphite in later hand: 96/110
- Markings
- Marked:blindstamp of the Calcografia Nacional
About this work
Overview
Esto es lo verdadero (This Is the Truth) is a print created by Francisco de Goya using multiple techniques including etching, aquatint, and drypoint. It was produced in 1815, with a trial proof printed posthumously in 1957-58.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a man and woman together, the man holding a shovel, with the woman's hands clasped in front of her. Their facial expressions convey tension, with the man's face showing anger and sadness, and the woman's face suggesting shame or regret.
Technique & Style
Goya employed a range of techniques to create the print, including etching, aquatint, drypoint, burin, and burnisher on laid paper. The use of these techniques contributed to the dramatic effect of the image, with strong contrasts between light and dark.
Context
The work reflects Goya's engagement with the social and political issues of his time, characteristic of his printmaking practice. Created in 1815, it is a product of a period of significant historical turmoil.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker.
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