Aquatint and etching, circa 1799. 215x150 mm; 8 1/2x6 inches, wide margins. First edition. From Los Caprichos. A very good, dark impression, with contrasts and with the highlights on the head and shoulders of the woman and the man's back distinct.
Goya's commentary on this subject, which he revealed on the expressions and poses of the figures in this scene, is particularly biting, he wrote, "That's how things are! The fiancé is not very attractive, but he is rich, and at the cost of the freedom of an unhappy girl, the security of a hungry family is acquired. It is the way of the world." Delteil 51; Harris 49.
