'Humility versus Pride' a young man imploring an older man with other figures in front of them; folio 75 (recto) from the Madrid Album 'B'

Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)

1796–98 (possibly later) · Brush and point of brush, carbon black washes, on laid paper · Drawings and Prints

The captions referring to contrasting moral conditions on either side of this sheet form a linguistic bond. As with many of Goya’s captions, however, they relate to the images obliquely, generating questions rather than describing. The haughty man at right here has been identified as Napoleon Bonaparte. He approaches a group of figures who adopt various attitudes: obsequiousness, humiliation, fear, and curiosity. The other drawing on the other side of the sheet (35.103.12) depicts what appears to be a pawn shop. In the foreground, a woman opens her mantle to reveal her elegant dress, while a young man secures a bundle. To whom the generosity and greed of the caption apply is not clear.

Artist

Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)

Date

1796–98 (possibly later)

Medium

Brush and point of brush, carbon black washes, on laid paper

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1935