Los ensacados (The Men in Sacks)

Los ensacados (The Men in Sacks) is a potent print created by Francisco Goya in 1816. This late Spanish work exemplifies Goya's command over the print medium, employing the technically demanding combination of etching enhanced by burnished aquatint. This process utilized etching for precise line work and aquatint to create broad, velvety tonal areas, allowing Goya to achieve the dramatic chiaroscuro and atmospheric depth necessary for the work's unsettling subject. The technical mastery exhibited in this piece places it among Goya’s significant graphic outputs during the turbulent period spanning 1801 to 1825.

In this piece, Goya depicts several figures seemingly bound, restricted, or obscured within large, heavy sacks. The context of the activity remains ambiguous, inviting interpretations that range from satirical commentary on human folly to a darker political allegory regarding subjugation or forced blindness. The figures are positioned in a dimly lit, undefined space, emphasizing their isolation and the psychological burden implied by their encasement. Goya often utilized the dark expressive power of his prints to address superstition, cruelty, and the lingering trauma following the Peninsular War, themes prevalent throughout the artist’s mature career.

As a master draftsman, Goya used the tonal variations provided by the aquatint to highlight the oppressive weight and texture of the material engulfing the men. The inherent darkness enhances the unsettling nature of the scene, distinguishing this work within the artist’s collection of social critiques. This exceptional example of Spanish printmaking is part of the distinguished collection at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Today, high-resolution prints of Los ensacados are often circulated through public domain archives, allowing scholars and enthusiasts worldwide to study Goya’s unparalleled ability to fuse biting social commentary with technical innovation.