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Primary sourcePainting1796-1798

Women Chasing Bird-Men Out of a Door

Francisco Goya y Lucientes · 1796-1798

A Goya etching from the Caprichos series satirising prostitution and corruption, showing women sweeping bird-headed men from a doorway.

Goya created and captioned this etching himself as part of his satirical Caprichos series.

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Etching titled Ya van desplumados, plate 20 of Goya's Caprichos. A young woman with arms raised holds a broom above her head while another young woman bends forward sweeping. Two hooded old figures stand behind them. On the left, two bird-like creatures with human heads crouch on the floor, and a winged bird figure flies at upper right. A doorway appears at left with a small figure in it.
Francisco Goya, Caprichos plate 20, 'Ya van desplumados', 1796–1798. Wellcome Collection.

About this source

What it is

This print, captioned Ya van desplumados, is plate 20 from Caprichos, etched by Francisco Goya around 1796–1798. It shows two young women with brooms driving out strange bird-like figures with human heads, while two hooded figures watch. It belongs to the Wellcome Collection.

Why it matters

Goya used fantastical imagery in the Caprichos to comment on real social problems in Spain, including prostitution and the corruption of religious and social institutions. The bird-men likely represent men who have been exploited and then cast out once their money is gone. The print shows Goya's skill at combining satire with striking, strange visual invention.

Look closer

  • What might the bird-headed men represent?
  • Why are the hooded figures standing behind rather than acting themselves?
  • How does the broom-sweeping action change the meaning of the scene?

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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