Little Goblins

Three grotesque goblins in friar's habits are holding glasses of wine. The one standing on the right of the engraving seems to belong to a barefoot order and, compared to the others, has a more taciturn and reserved attitude. The one in the centre gesticulates with a huge monstrous hand that does not correspond to his small size. He laughs with ease and reveals his battered, sharp-toothed dentition. The one on the left side of the print is seated on the floor and seems to be concentrating hard, looking at the glass he holds in one of his hands. The scene takes place in a dark, vaulted space, perhaps a cellar. At the top of the back of the room is a barred window.

With a fine aquatint Goya manages to create half-tones that contrast with the light streaming through the bars. The room is in semi-darkness and the painter did not wish to give priority to any of the three figures, who are treated equally.

The Manuscript of the Biblioteca Nacional describes this picture very well: "The real goblins of this world are the priests and friars, who eat and drink at our expense. The Church or the clergy has a sharp tooth and a monstrously long right hand to grasp; the barefoot friar, as the most gourmand, covers the glass of wine; but the footwear does not mess around; he pours soups in wine and trills happily".

In the second half of the 18th century, the word " goblin" was used to refer to the friars, so the artist could be interpreted as resuming his criticism of the clergy who, in this case, are drinking the wine they receive from the people's tithes. The painter questions the usefulness of the clergy, their role in a society that is obliged to support them in any case.

The deformed faces of the figures in the engraving are clearly reminiscent of the characters in The Family of the Rustic Bertoldo, an anonymous work from the late 18th or early 19th century. In these cases the heads are disproportionately large for the bodies, a deformity that is also seen in Little Goblins.