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Primary sourcePainting1799

Self-Portrait, Plate 1 from Los Caprichos

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes · 1799

Goya's self-portrait etching used as the opening plate of his famous Los Caprichos print series, 1799.

Goya made this self-portrait to open his Caprichos series, presenting his own image as the series' author.

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Etching on cream paper showing Plate 1 from Los Caprichos: a profile portrait of a man in a tall top hat and high-collared coat, facing left, with the plate number Q 1 at upper right and the inscription 'Fran.co Goya y Lucientes, Pintor' below the image.
Francisco Goya, Self-Portrait, Plate 1 from Los Caprichos, 1799. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This etching with aquatint and drypoint was made by Francisco Goya in 1799 as Plate 1 of his series Los Caprichos. It shows Goya in profile wearing a top hat, with an inscription naming him as the painter. The print is held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Goya chose to open his satirical print series with his own image, presenting himself to the public as its author before the viewer sees the strange and critical scenes that follow. It shows how Goya wanted to be seen - as a serious, respectable painter - even as his series went on to mock social and political follies of his time.

Look closer

  • Why might Goya have placed his own portrait as the very first image in the series?
  • What does his clothing and pose suggest about how he wanted to be seen?
  • How does the formal inscription below the image shape the viewer's expectations for what follows?

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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