The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 17, 2025

They Spin Finely, Plate 44

1799

Francisco de Goya

(Spanish, 1746–1828)
Spain, 18th century
Etching, aquatint, drypoint, and engraving printed in sepia
Image: 19.1 x 13 cm (7 1/2 x 5 1/8 in.); Platemark: 21.8 x 15.3 cm (8 9/16 x 6 in.); Sheet: 30.2 x 19.5 cm (11 7/8 x 7 11/16 in.)
Sundry Purchase Fund 2014.15
Catalogue raisonné: Harris 79 II, Trial Proof
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Francisco de Goya gave each of the prints in Los Caprichos, including this one, intentionally cryptic titles.

Description

Francisco de Goya creatively engaged with printmaking, producing bold and innovative compositions. This impression is a rare trial proof printed in sepia ink before publication of the series Los Caprichos, whose title translates as “caprices” or “artistic fantasies.” As one of the earliest sheets printed from the plate, it retains Goya’s subtle layers of tonal aquatint absent in later impressions. Note, for example, the slight shift in tone between the pale skin and white blouse of the woman in the foreground whose spinning, a common euphemism for sex work, is likely the subject of the artist’s elaborate critique.
  • c. 1929
    Knoedler Galleries, New York, NY (stock number: MK 30262)
    ?–2014
    (Susan Schulman Printsellers, New York, NY, sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH)
    June 2, 2014–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Glaubinger, Jane. “Acquisition Highlights 2014: Prints.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 55, no. 2 (March/April 2015): 24. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 24 archive.org
  • Imagination in the Age of Reason. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 28, 2024-March 2, 2025).
  • {{cite web|title=They Spin Finely, Plate 44|url=false|author=Francisco de Goya|year=1799|access-date=17 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2014.15