The artwork titled “Even so he cannot make her out” is a creation by esteemed artist Francisco Goya dating back to the year 1799. This piece is executed using the mediums of aquatint and etching on paper. It measures 21.5 x 15.5 cm and is associated with the Romanticism movement. Notably, this piece serves as a caricature and forms part of the artist’s acclaimed series “Los caprichos.”
In the artwork, three figures engage in an enigmatic interaction. A man, leaning forward with a gesture of examination or possibly supplication, concentrates his attention on the central female figure. Her countenance bears an expression of ambivalence, her eyes shaded and her posture poised between acceptance and withdrawal. To her right, a seated woman observes the scene, removed from the direct interaction yet integral to the tableau.
The scene is shrouded in a chiaroscuro that amplifies the mysterious nature of the encounter, with deep shadows cast across the figures and the background. The overall effect is one that invites the viewer to ponder the nuanced social commentary at play, as characteristic of Goya’s works within “Los caprichos.” The accompanying caption, “No se la distingue,” may evoke thoughts about the unclear perception or identity of the woman in focus, which is a recurring theme in the series that critiques societal norms and folly.
