Goya. The Complete Prints

Francisco de Goya was one of the most innovative artists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries; his etchings and lithographs are true masterpieces of modern printmaking. Trained in Spain and Italy, his work combined works for the king and the ruling classes with personal works created outside commissions, creating a disturbing dialogue between the sensibility of the Enlightenment and the brutal reality of his time.

Whether in single prints - such as the harrowing The Seized or the sublime Seated Giant - or throughout his celebrated series - the satirical Caprichos, the heart-rending Disasters of War, the chronicle of the Tauromaquia, or the portrait of thenica de la Tauromaquia and the enigmatic Disparates - Goya captured both the spirit and the shadows of a world in upheaval, where the individual was often overwhelmed by violence, superstition or power. These were not just reflections on Spanish society. They were accusations, meditations and warnings engraved in copper about the universal essence of the human being.

This landmark collection of 287 etchings and lithographs brings together Goya's complete graphic oeuvre, and includes editions produced under his direct supervision, as well as rare state proofs that offer exceptional insight into his tireless experimentation and meticulous control of the etching process.

With detailed commentary on each image and essays by José Manuel Matilla and Anna Reuter, this volume brings more than two centuries of scholarly research up to date and offers a revealing visual interpretation of his graphic oeuvre. Goya did not merely depict his world. He dissected it, exposing the eternal tensions between reason and madness, justice and cruelty, hope and despair.

• Pages: 600
• Language: English
• Author: Anna Reuter, José Manuel Matilla
• Year: 2025

Publisher: Taschen