Who painted Tale-Bearers - Blasts of Wind, Plate 48?

Tale-Bearers - Blasts of Wind, Plate 48 was painted by Francisco Goya in 1799.

Where can I see Tale-Bearers - Blasts of Wind, Plate 48?

Tale-Bearers - Blasts of Wind, Plate 48 is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Tale-Bearers - Blasts of Wind, Plate 48?

Tale-Bearers - Blasts of Wind, Plate 48 is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Tale-Bearers - Blasts of Wind, Plate 48

Francisco Goya , 1799

Tale-Bearers - Blasts of Wind, Plate 48 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. Tale‑Bearers – Blasts of Wind, Plate 48 is a print executed by the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya in 1799.

About this work

Overview

Tale‑Bearers – Blasts of Wind, Plate 48 is a print executed by the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya in 1799. The work belongs to Goya’s series of etchings and is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents a nightmarish, winged monster hovering over a small crowd. The creature’s distorted face and exposed teeth dominate the composition, while the figures below shrink in terror, some shielding their eyes and others gazing upward with a blend of dread and fascination. The stark contrast between the beast and the frightened humans underscores a theme of overwhelming, unseen forces.

Technique & Style

Rendered in the dramatic chiaroscuro typical of Goya’s printmaking, the plate employs deep, somber tones that heighten the sense of menace. The exaggerated anatomy of the monster and the expressive, contorted postures of the people reflect the Romantic emphasis on emotion, the sublime, and the uncanny.

History & Provenance

Created at the close of the eighteenth century, the print entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century. Its provenance traces back to Goya’s original series, which circulated among collectors of his graphic works before becoming part of the museum’s print and drawing department.

Context

The work belongs to a period when Goya explored darker, more fantastical subjects, anticipating the later Black Paintings. Its unsettling atmosphere aligns with the broader Romantic movement, which favored intense, often terrifying depictions of nature and the supernatural as a response to Enlightenment rationalism.