Todos Caeran (All Will Fall), No. 19 from the series Los Caprichos

The title of the 80-plate series Los Caprichos, literally “The Caprices,” would seem to indicate images of a lighthearted and whimsical nature. In the hands of Goya, one of the most significant figures in the history in Spanish art, however, the result is something entirely different. Equal parts satire, caricature, and social commentary, the plates of Los Caprichos were intended as condemnation of human folly, superstitions, and cruelty. Although many of the images and their captions continue to resist coherent interpretation, their biting wit and exceptionally humbling effect have a universal appeal that continues to amuse and moralize even today. Publication of this series firmly established Goya as one of the most incisive and original artistic minds of his time.

Located in the section of Los Caprichos that deals with prostitution, this image comments on the proliferation of venereal disease in its depiction of young ladies of the night and an old procuress capturing, plucking, and disemboweling male avian customers attracted to the alluring she-bird in the tree above.