Artwork
It is Nicely Stretched, Plate 17
It is Nicely Stretched, Plate 17 is a print by the Romanticist artist Francisco Goya. It dates from 1799 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
“It is Nicely Stretched, Plate 17” is an etching by the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya, dated around 1799. The work belongs to his satirical series Los Caprichos and is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The image shows a seated woman in a long dress and headscarf, her legs bent and feet flat on the ground, while a standing man grasps one leg and pulls it outward. Her gaze is directed downward, her expression focused, suggesting a moment of careful assistance or instruction.
Technique & Style
Executed in a monochrome palette, the print relies on a range of grays and delicate line work rather than bold contours. The subdued tonal values create a quiet, contemplative atmosphere, emphasizing the figures’ interaction over decorative detail.
Context
Plate 17 appears within Los Caprichos, a collection of prints that comment on the follies and vices of eighteenth‑century Spanish society. Themes of love, mortality and the complexities of human behavior run throughout the series, and this image contributes to that moral commentary through its intimate domestic scene.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; Spanish: ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker.
