Beastly folly

A giant, tame, tuskless elephant stands outside a ring of light. He is confronted by four oriental, bearded men with exotic gestures and attire, who try to lure the pachyderm by the sound of bell-shaped harnesses worn by one of them. Another of these men shows him a large book, while one of his companions looks up at the sky. The last of them is simply there. Goya gives them a treatment very similar to that of the Moors in Bullfighting, claiming the elephant in much the same way as the bullfighter cites the bull. The setting has an arid grandeur thanks to the existence of rocks without vegetation. The effects of light and shadow favour the colossalism of the rocky walls and the animal itself.

The elephant has traditionally been a symbol of strength, intelligence and meekness. In this case it seems to be the Spanish people, docile and submissive, deceived by the politicians, represented in these Persians, the name given to the supporters of the absolutist regime of Ferdinand VII following the publication of the so-called Manifesto of the Persians. The animal is outside the large luminous circle, symbolising the light of the Enlightenment.

Goya originally intended to place the large animal on the left of the composition, although he finally rectified his plan and placed it on the right. The drawing is very perfect, with lines that suggest the roughness of the elephant´s skin.

The preparatory drawing for the present print, also entitled Beastly folly, is still preserved.