FRANCISCO DE GOYA Y LUCIENTES (1746-1828), Why hide them? (Porque esconderlos?) Plate 30 from: Los Caprichos

FRANCISCO DE GOYA Y LUCIENTES (1746-1828)
Why hide them? (Porque esconderlos?)
Plate 30 from: Los Caprichos
etching with burnished aquatint, drypoint and engraving, on laid paper, a very good impression from the First Edition, published by the artist, Madrid, 1799, the subtle veils of aquatint tone on the two main figures, which disappears long before the Second Edition, still present, framed
Plate: 8 x 5⁷⁄₈ in. (203 x 149 mm.)
Sheet: 11³⁄₄ x 8 in. (298 x 203 mm.)

Presumably Manuel Fernández Durán y Pando, Marqués de Perales del Río (1818-1886), Madrid.
Don Pedro Fernández-Durán (1846-1930), Madrid; with his stamp (Lugt 747b); presumably by descent from the above.
Don Tomas de la Maza y Saavedra (1896-1975); gift from the above.
With Herman Shickman Fine Arts, New York.
With Stuart Denenberg, Los Angeles.
Private American Collection; acquired from the above.

Delteil 67; Harris 65

Conditions of Sale
FAQs
This lot is offered by Christie's Inc

Brought to you by

Lot Essay

Prado manuscript: ‘The answer is easy. The reason that he does not want to spend them and in fact will not spend them is that, although he is over eighty years old and is not going to live another month, he still is afraid that he will live long enough to be lacking in money. So mistaken are the calculations of avarice.’

‘This appears to be an attack on the avariciousness of the clergy. The four malicious appearing figures in the background seem to be convinced that they eventually will have those money bags for themselves.'

Johnson, R. S., Francisco Goya, Los Caprichos, R.S. Johnson Fine Art, Chicago, 1992, p. 86.