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Primary sourcePainting1799

Self-Portrait of Goya in a Hat

Francisco Goya · 1799

Goya's own etched self-portrait, used as the frontispiece for his Caprichos print series, made around age 51.

Goya's own self-portrait, made to introduce himself as author of the Caprichos series.

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Etching showing a man in profile facing left, wearing a tall top hat and a dark high-collared coat with a cravat. Below the image is the inscription 'Fran.co Goya y Lucientes, Pintor' and the plate number 'P. 1' appears at upper right.
Francisco Goya, Self-Portrait, frontispiece of Los Caprichos, 1799. Rijksmuseum, Netherlands.

About this source

What it is

This etching is a self-portrait by Francisco Goya, made as the first plate of his famous series Los Caprichos around when he was about 51 years old. It shows him in profile wearing a tall top hat and dark coat, with his name inscribed below. It is held by the Rijksmuseum.

Why it matters

Goya used this self-portrait to introduce himself as the author of the satirical prints that followed, signalling that the series was his own personal vision. It shows how an artist could present himself to the public at the start of a bold and critical body of work.

Look closer

  • Why might Goya have chosen to show himself in profile, dressed formally?
  • What does placing a self-portrait at the start of a print series tell you about his intentions?
  • What is left out of a profile portrait that a front-facing portrait might show?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Francisco Goya on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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