The old woman and the gallant

In the centre of the scene, a haggard-faced old woman in a pompous dress holds out her hand to a handsome young man who bows to her. The young man's face, which shows a gesture of displeasure, turns towards the viewer. In the background, on the left, there is a man with his arms crossed over his chest and his head turned upwards, with a strange gesture on his face, perhaps mocking the woman whose back is turned to him.

This print is executed with a single-tone aquatint that contrasts with the illuminated areas. Thanks to the burnisher, half-tones are achieved in the old woman's dress and those of her companions. Goya used etching to define the figures, create their clothing and create a shaded area on the right side of the print.

This unique proof, which is not included in the published series of Los Caprichos, has been related to Capricho no. 55, Until Death, as both depict an elegantly dressed old woman. The analogies between the figure in the present engraving and Queen Maria Luisa of Parma are more than obvious, and it is possible that the man bowing to her could be Manuel Godoy and the one in the background could be Charles IV. It is likely that the painter thought of including this engraving in the series but later decided to remove it because of the explicitness of the criticism and the ease with which the characters being satirized could be identified. He would thus have replaced it with No. 55, Until Death.