Artwork
Un enano (A Dwarf)
Un enano (A Dwarf) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Francisco Goya. It dates from 1778 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1778, this early etching by Francisco de Goya depicts a seated figure identified as a dwarf from the Spanish royal household.
About this work
The artist signed it in Spanish, calling it a portrait of a "dwarf" from the royal palace in Madrid.
This is a black-and-white etching of a seated man with a thick beard and dark hair. He’s wearing a loose robe and sits with his legs stretched out, one hand resting on his knee. The lines are rough and scratchy, giving his face and clothes a textured look.
The artist signed it in Spanish, calling it a portrait of a "dwarf" from the royal palace in Madrid. It’s dated 1778, made by Francisco Goya when he was just starting out.
Next, check out technique: etching to see how artists like Goya made prints like this.
Overview
Created in 1778, this early etching by Francisco de Goya depicts a seated figure identified as a dwarf from the Spanish royal household. Executed on laid paper as a working proof, the print presents a monochrome image rendered in rough, scratchy lines that emphasize the texture of the subject’s beard, hair, and loose robe.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a man with a thick beard and dark hair, seated with his legs extended and one hand resting on his knee. The inscription on the plate names the sitter as a palace dwarf, reflecting Goya’s early interest in portraying individuals from the court and the social hierarchies of his time.
Technique & Style
Goya employed traditional etching methods, incising the design into a metal plate and transferring it onto laid paper. The working proof reveals a spontaneous, uneven line quality, giving the figure a tactile, almost sketch‑like presence that anticipates the more expressive handling of surface that would characterize his later prints.
History & Provenance
Signed by Goya in Spanish, the print dates to the artist’s formative years, before his rise to prominence as a court painter. As a working proof, it likely served as a test before a final edition, offering insight into Goya’s developmental process and his early engagement with printmaking within the Spanish artistic milieu.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; Spanish: ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker.
