Sanan cuchilladas mas no malas palabras (Wounds Heal Quicker than Hasty Words)

Sanan cuchilladas mas no malas palabras (Wounds Heal Quicker than Hasty Words) by Francisco Goya is a powerful example of the artist’s late printmaking, executed originally around 1816. This print is categorized as an etching and burnished aquatint, techniques Goya frequently employed to achieve intense chiaroscuro effects and emotional depth. Although the design originated during the significant Spanish period spanning 1801 to 1825, this particular impression is identified as a trial proof printed posthumously sometime between 1854 and 1863, highlighting the enduring interest in Goya’s often unsettling graphic work long after his death.

The composition’s unsettling subject matter is succinctly summarized in its didactic title, which suggests a profound commentary on the lingering damage caused by verbal aggression compared to the relatively transient nature of physical injury. Goya utilized the aquatint to create heavy fields of shadow, emphasizing the psychological gravity of the scene rather than a straightforward narrative event. The skillful deployment of the burnisher would have allowed the artist to subtly modulate the light, selectively revealing figures or actions emerging from the darkness, a hallmark of his approach to these moralizing prints.

Goya’s work during the first quarter of the 19th century reflects a growing disillusionment with war, society, and human nature, a thematic thread that runs consistently through his diverse output of prints. His innovative approach to both etching and aquatint elevated the medium, establishing him as one of the most influential Spanish graphic artists of the era. The status of this impression as a trial proof provides important insight into the technical stages of its production and the careful attention Goya devoted to controlling tonal atmosphere. This remarkable work, Sanan cuchilladas mas no malas palabras, is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a critical document of the master’s late style.