Y esto tambien (And This Too)

Goya employed a layered approach, beginning with etched lines for the basic forms, then adding aquatint or lavis washes to achieve atmospheric tones. Drypoint and burin work sharpened details such as the women’s faces and the jagged sky. The contrast between deep blacks and lighter washes creates a dramatic chiaroscuro that heightens the urgency of the narrative.

Although dated 1863, the work belongs to Goya’s later period, when he increasingly turned to printmaking to comment on social conditions. The plate passed through several private collections before entering a public museum in the early 20th century, where it has been exhibited as part of the artist’s series on the plight of the lower classes.

The print emerges from a time of political turbulence in Spain, marked by wars, famine, and repression. Goya’s broader oeuvre often addressed these upheavals, and this work aligns with his series of socially engaged images that document the impact of conflict on ordinary people, especially women and children.

*Y esto también* exemplifies Goya’s mastery of print techniques to convey social critique, influencing later realist and modernist artists who used graphic media for political commentary. The work continues to be studied for its technical innovation and its unflinching portrayal of human endurance.