Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Francisco José de Goya y LucientesLinkedCulture matchlcp-637ac1088cb7

Date: 1797–98
Medium: Etching and aquatint
Department: European Art
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Art
Object ID: 80353

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record

Francisco Goya’s series Los Caprichos contains layers of meaning that even today challenge the modern viewer. Mia’s copy is a rare presentation proof containing early printings of all eighty images. In the first half, Goya explored themes of superstition, sensuality, greed, and violence with scenes set in Spanish brothels, salons, and prisons. The second half is given over to fantastic images from the artist’s dreams and nightmares. Even though Goya tried to disguise his attacks on Spanish society, he withdrew the set from sale because he had been reported to the Inquisition, a tribunal that ruled with lethal authority. Spain, Europe

View at Minneapolis Institute of Art ↗

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.

Get printable QR codes

Open QR codes for this object page and the museum record. They stay collapsed until needed.

Open this page

See at Minneapolis Institute of Art

Provenance & credit

As published by the source institution. Coverage varies — not every institution's open-data feed includes ownership history.

Credit line: The William Hood Dunwoody Fund, by exchange, and gift of funds from Mr. and Mrs. John T. Adams, Dr. and Mrs. David Bradford, Mr. and Mrs. Benton J. Case, Mr. and Mrs. W. John Driscoll, and Mr. and Mrs. Reuel Harmon