Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes

Etching with engraving, circa 1810, from Los Desastres de la Guerra, a rare, fine and early working proof, Harris's state I.2, before numbers, on laid paper

Ex coll. Infante Don Sebastien who was most probably responsible for the retouching; G. Provôt, Paris; Philip Hofer, Cambridge, Massachusetts; thence by descent in the family to the present owners

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Changing Image: Prints by Francisco Goya, exhib. cat. by E. A. Sayre and the Department of Prints and Drawings, pp. 181-82, cat. no. 146., illus.

With wide margins, in good condition apart from drapery lightly added in pen and grey ink to discretely cover the chest of the woman being carried (probably by a previous owner, Infante Don Sebastien), a few very pale fox marks mainly towards edges of the sheet, a few thin spots at upper edge (mainly visible verso), a pencil inscription at upper edge, unframed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The first edition of Los Desastres de la Guerra was only published in 1863, well after Goya's death. However, during his lifetime he printed proofs of the various plates, which differ significantly from the published edition. They are far more subtle, with a greater range of tonal values. In the present work, which is part of the earliest set of plates made for the series, we can clearly see that Goya bit the plate a second time, creating a ring of darkness from which the fire blazes forth. The glare from the burst of flames illuminates the women in their light-coloured dresses. The chiaroscuro in this scene recalls the tonal effects achieved in Goya's earlier painting Fire at Night (1793-94).

Many of these qualities are obscured in the 1863 edition, which was printed with heavier tone, dulling the figures and obscuring the delicate hatching. The rare working proofs are the only examples of this series that show how Goya envisaged them to look in the published editions.

The present example is one of only six impressions of this state and one of only eight working proofs cited by Harris.