If the sun rises; We're leaving

Under a starry night sky, four old witches with deformed and weathered faces listen attentively to a fifth one pointing to the right; it is possible that the old woman is announcing the imminent arrival of the day before which they must prepare to flee. She is sitting on a sack and has children hanging from her belt who will be the object of some rite. In the background we can see a shadow with its wings spread out, which seems to be protecting the sorceresses.

With his use of varnish reserves and mastery of aquatint, Goya manages to create excellent lighting effects of contrast between the darkness of the sky and the incipient daylight. He also uses the burin to redraw the back of the old witch in the background on the left.

The Prado Manuscript says of this print: And even if you hadn't come, you wouldn't need to, while the Ayala manuscript notes the following: "Conferencian de noche las alcahuetas sobre el modo de echarse criaturas al cinto" ("The procuresses lecture at night on how to put creatures on their belts"). The manuscript in the National Library is somewhat more explicit when referring to engraving no. 71 of The Caprices: "The ruffians and procuresses confer at night about their lightheartedness and the means of getting more children under their belts".

Goya criticises those who live in the darkness of their superstitions and flee from the clarity that reason implies. Those who try to keep us away from the light are nothing other than beings as repulsive and grotesque as those captured by the artist in this engraving.

The reference to the child sacrifices that were practised in some covens is present in other engravings in the series, such as No. 69, Blow.