Satan's desperation

See People in sacks

This drawing does not correspond to any of the Follies prints but has traditionally been classified in that group because of its formal and technical similarity. The composition divides the sheet diagonally, leaving two areas of different density. On the left side, José Manuel Matilla identifies a large animal head attempting to devour the fallen figure of a winged devil. This creature, skeletal and naked, tries to cling desperately to the rocks.

He has bat-like wings and from his mouth, which shows sharp teeth, comes a cry of despair. Winged figures with diabolical faces are frequent in Goya's work, for example in the Caprices. In the sky on the right, Goya has sketched the figure of three winged women with skirts and bows in their hair, reminiscent of the protagonist of Volaverunt or the female allegories in the frescoes of Saint Anthony of La Florida in Madrid.

The difficulty of accurately interpreting the background of the scene has led various authors to reproduce the image with the composition inverted, as if the demon were climbing up a rocky slope.