Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes
A Way of Flying, from Disparates, published as plate 13 in Los Proverbios (Proverbs)
1815–17, published 1864
Etching and aquatint in brown-black on ivory wove paper
21.8 × 32.5 cm (8.6 × 12.8 in)
SEE IT IN PERSON
Not currently on view
In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026
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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
Near the end of his life, Francisco de Goya created a satirical series of etchings published as Los proverbios ( Proverbs ). The series was also known as Los disparates , meaning “nonsense” or “follies.” Although Goya often used flying as a symbol of man’s evil and vanity, this group of prints contains some of his most mysterious and complex imagery, which he intentionally left open to many interpretations.
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