A caza de dientes (Out Hunting for Teeth)

A caza de dientes (Out Hunting for Teeth) is a powerful print created by Francisco Goya in 1799. This seminal work utilized a complex combination of etching, burnished aquatint, and burin on laid paper, showcasing Goya’s unparalleled command of graphic media. Created during a period stretching from 1776 to 1800, this piece exemplifies the artist’s shift toward critiquing the irrationalities and entrenched superstitions of contemporary Spanish society.

The subject matter directly addresses the dark folklore and belief in magical cures prevalent in the late eighteenth-century Spanish imagination. The scene depicts a grotesque, cloaked figure, likely interpreted as a hag or sorceress, desperately searching for the teeth of a hanged man. Historically, the teeth of the dead, particularly those executed, were believed to possess powerful magical, often curative or protective, properties. Goya’s decision to illustrate such a macabre superstition underlines his intellectual alignment with Enlightenment thought, which sought to expose and ridicule the ignorance that persisted in the general populace.

Technically, Goya employs aquatint to generate deep, velvety shadows, dramatically intensifying the grotesque nature of the hunt and establishing a mood of palpable dread. This use of stark tonal contrast is characteristic of the artist’s explorations into the subconscious and the sinister aspects of human nature that defined the emerging Romantic movement. As an influential example of early Romantic graphic art, the piece is key to understanding Goya’s critical approach to his culture. This significant print is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, ensuring its availability for ongoing study by art historians worldwide.