Artwork
You Will Not Escape, Plate 72
You Will Not Escape, Plate 72 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
Created in 1799, 'You Will Not Escape, Plate 72' is one of eighty-five etchings in Francisco de Goya's series 'Los Caprichos.' Executed in etching and aquatint, it reflects Goya’s exploration of fear, superstition, and the irrational. The print is part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains a key example of his late 18th-century graphic work.
Subject & Meaning
The figures’ vulnerability and the figure’s ambiguous nature evoke themes of childhood fear, moral consequence, or the haunting presence of the unknown.
The image depicts a spectral female figure, wings outstretched, carrying a child while two others cling to her legs. Her flight over a chaotic, shadowed landscape suggests a nightmarish pursuit. The Spanish inscription, 'No te escaparas,' implies inescapable fate or supernatural retribution. The figures’ vulnerability and the figure’s ambiguous nature evoke themes of childhood fear, moral consequence, or the haunting presence of the unknown.
Technique & Style
Goya employed etching and aquatint to create deep blacks and atmospheric gradations, enhancing the sense of motion and dread. Loose, rapid lines convey urgency, while the lack of detail in the background amplifies the figure’s isolation. The sketchlike quality suggests spontaneity, as if the scene emerged from a fleeting vision rather than a composed narrative, reinforcing the work’s dreamlike tension.
History & Provenance
The print was produced as part of Goya’s 'Los Caprichos' series, published in 1799 after years of private experimentation. It was initially sold by subscription to a limited audience. The Cleveland Museum of Art acquired it in the 20th century as part of a broader collection of Goya’s graphic works, preserving its original state and historical context within the series.
Context
Made during Spain’s Enlightenment, the print challenges rationalist ideals by embracing the irrational and the supernatural. Goya responded to widespread superstition, religious anxiety, and social hypocrisy, using allegory to critique societal fears. The work aligns with broader European shifts toward emotional expression, foreshadowing Romanticism’s preoccupation with the subconscious and the sublime.
Legacy
Goya’s 'Los Caprichos' influenced later artists exploring psychological depth and social critique through printmaking. 'You Will Not Escape' stands as an early example of visualizing inner terror, anticipating 19th-century Symbolism and modern horror imagery. Its raw, unpolished aesthetic continues to resonate as a powerful depiction of fear beyond literal representation.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; Spanish: ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker.
