Self-Portrait; wearing a top hat facing left within a drawn frame (recto); two studies of his face (verso)
In this preparatory drawing for the first print in the Caprichos (50.558.33), Goya wears the latest French fashions. Adopted by the emerging Spanish middle class in the 1790s, this style of dress served as a sign of both prosperous respectability and receptiveness to foreign influences. His expression suggests his critical stance toward the vices and errors he satirized in the images that followed in the Caprichos. The mannered way he represents himself—including the narrowed eyes and curved lips—also reflects his knowledge of popular and influential treatises on physiognomy and expression.
Artwork Details
- Title: Self-Portrait; wearing a top hat facing left within a drawn frame (recto); two studies of his face (verso)
- Artist: Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) (Spanish, Fuendetodos 1746–1828 Bordeaux)
- Sitter: Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) (Spanish, Fuendetodos 1746–1828 Bordeaux)
- Date: ca. 1797–98
- Medium: Red chalk (recto), pen and ink and red chalk (verso) on laid paper
- Dimensions: Sheet: 7 13/16 × 5 5/8 in. (19.8 × 14.3 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971
- Object Number: 1972.118.295
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
1799, posthumous impression
Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
ca. 1815–19 (published 1864)
Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
ca. 1815–19 (published 1864)
Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
ca. 1815–19 (published 1864)
Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
ca. 1815–19 (published 1864)
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.