The artwork “She prays for her,” created by the artist Francisco Goya in 1799, is a piece from the “Los Caprichos” series that is executed in drypoint and etching on paper. Reflecting the Romanticism art movement, this caricature has dimensions of 21.9 x 15.2 cm and currently resides in a private collection. The genre and the distinctive style suggest a critical reflection of the society of Goya’s time.
In the artwork, one observes a depiction of three figures. The central figure appears to be a young woman seated comfortably on a chair, elegantly dressed, with her gaze meeting the viewer’s. To her right, an older woman or possibly a man—given the ambiguity of appearance—is kneeling on the ground, with hands possibly clasped in prayer, leaning towards the young woman in a deferential or servile manner. To the left of the image, partially in shadow, stands another woman with a more relaxed posture and knowing expression. The background of the scene is shrouded in darkness, serving to cast the figures into sharp relief, focusing the viewer’s attention on the interaction between them. The etching is characterized by a rich contrast of light and shadow, which is typical of Goya’s work. The title “Ruega por ella” inscribed below translates as “She prays for her,” which may imply a narrative of intercession, piety, or perhaps even satire—elements commonly explored in Goya’s “Los Caprichos” series.
