Ridiculous folly

On a thick branch sits a large group of individuals dressed in broad robes, impassive before another figure with his back to them, who addresses them with his right hand outstretched. Below them, an immense abyss spreads out. The branch is lost in space, as no beginning or end can be seen, making it the protagonist of the scene.

The figures are mysteriously still and cold, making this picture one of the most enigmatic in The Follies series. They are absorbed, not relating to one another or listening to the speaker´s worlds. They suggest coldness in their withdrawn attitude. The clothes they are wearing accentutae this sensation, as they are wrapped in thick blankets and towels, and one of the women even has her hands inside a pair of muffled sleeves.

It is known why Goya included the word "ridiculous" in the title. it seems that he wanted to disqualify this group of self-absorbed characters, isolated and unaware of the danger that lies in wait for them, represented by the emptiness that opnes up at their feet. Some authors have seen this as a criticism of the passivity of the aristocracy, immobile in their family tree.

The dark background is achieved with aquatint, although, unlike other prints, the inking is less compact to suggest a shy twilight. Small touches of drypoint are applied to the figures, as in the hood of the one on the far left. 

The preparatory drawing for the present print, also entitled Ridiculous Folly, has survived.