Who painted Volaverunt (They Have Flown)?

Volaverunt (They Have Flown) was painted by Francisco de Goya in 1799.

Where can I see Volaverunt (They Have Flown)?

Volaverunt (They Have Flown) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Volaverunt (They Have Flown)?

Volaverunt (They Have Flown) is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of Volaverunt (They Have Flown)?

Museum-quality prints of Volaverunt (They Have Flown) are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Volaverunt (They Have Flown)

Francisco de Goya , 1799

Volaverunt (They Have Flown) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Francisco de Goya. It dates from 1799 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The work belongs to the period when Goya was expanding his graphic repertoire, linking the traditions of the Old Masters with emerging modern sensibilities.

Created in 1799, Volaverunt (They Have Flown) is a print by Francisco Goya that combines etching, aquatint and dry‑point on laid paper. The work belongs to the period when Goya was expanding his graphic repertoire, linking the traditions of the Old Masters with emerging modern sensibilities. Its monochrome composition is marked by stark lines and subtle tonal washes that give the image a sketch‑like intensity.

Subject & Meaning

The scene depicts a richly dressed, winged woman hovering above a cluster of smaller, disgruntled figures. She holds a fan and appears weightless, while the grounded characters stretch upward with angry expressions, their gestures suggesting frustration or yearning. The title, meaning “They Have Flown,” invites speculation about escape, elevation, or a shift in power dynamics, leaving the narrative deliberately ambiguous.

Technique & Style

Goya employed a layered approach: the etched lines define the overall composition, dry‑point adds a velvety, burr‑rich edge to the figures, and aquatint supplies soft, atmospheric shading. The use of laid paper contributes a subtle texture that interacts with the ink, enhancing the work’s tactile quality. This combination produces a contrast between crisp outlines and diffuse tonal areas, characteristic of Goya’s late‑eighteenth‑century experiments.

History & Provenance

Volaverunt was produced during a prolific phase of Goya’s printmaking, shortly before his famous series of social and political commentaries. The print was issued as part of a limited set of illustrations that circulated among collectors and intellectuals of the time. Its ownership record traces back to early nineteenth‑century Spanish collections before entering museum holdings in the mid‑twentieth century.