Y son fieras (And They Are Like Wild Beasts)

Y son fieras (And They Are Like Wild Beasts) by Francisco Goya is a powerful print created through the sophisticated interplay of etching, burnished aquatint, and drypoint. Although the composition was conceived during the artist's lifetime, this specific impression dates to 1863. This later printing places its official publication squarely within the 1851 to 1875 period, confirming the ongoing demand for Goya’s influential and often unsettling satirical series years after his death.

Goya’s mastery of intaglio processes is fully apparent in this dramatic work. He utilized etching to lay down the precise contours and linear framework of the composition, while the burnished aquatint provides the deep, velvety blackness and tonal gradations that lend the piece its intense emotional atmosphere. The artist employed burnishing to soften edges and create subtle transitions between light and shadow, a demanding technical choice that adds significantly to the visual complexity. The slight burr left by the drypoint technique further enhances the richness of the darkest lines, maximizing the contrast between the illuminated figures and the enveloping darkness, a dramatic visual style common in Spanish art.

This Spanish print offers a stark commentary on human vice or irrationality, characteristic of Goya's late preoccupation with the grotesque and the failures of society. The print’s striking power ensured its continued circulation throughout the 1851 to 1875 era, solidifying Goya’s legacy as an essential precursor to modern graphic arts. This important work is part of the extensive collection of prints housed at the National Gallery of Art. As this impression of the print is now categorized within the public domain, the unsettling power of Y son fieras (And They Are Like Wild Beasts) remains accessible for study and appreciation worldwide.