Cleveland Museum of Art

When Day Breaks We Will Be Off, Plate 71

Francisco de Goya

Date

1799

Medium

etching and aquatint

Culture

Spain

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Francisco de Goya used printmaking to explore subjects that stirred controversy when represented in more public media, such as oil painting. This print belongs to Los Caprichos , a series of enigmatic images that critique the hypocrisy and irrationality the artist observed throughout contemporary Spanish society. Here, a group of witches prepares to fly without broomsticks or sight, suggesting ignorance and obliviousness. The dense and starry sky behind them was created using layers of aquatint—a technique that Goya was among the earliest and most expert artists to adopt. Francisco de Goya gave each of the prints in Los Caprichos , including this one, intentionally cryptic titles.

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