The old Spineer

The introduction of lithography in Spain was due to the initiative of José María Cardano, who on 16 March 1819 inaugurated the first lithographic workshop in Madrid called The Lithography of Madrid, also known as the Lithographic Establishment of Madrid, which depended on the Hydrographic Depot of the Secretariat of the Navy, This organisation had been created in 1770 and had been established in Madrid since 1789 at number 4 Hortaleza Street, in the so-called Casa de la Platina, for the purpose of storing the cartography produced as a result of the expeditions of the navigators, although it later dealt with the management and processing of charts, maps, plans, prints, etc. ... being active until 1825. Although Goya may have become acquainted with the lithographic technique through Bartolomé Sureda, he did not practise it until the beginning of 1819 in collaboration with Cardano, with whom he worked until the latter's departure abroad in July 1822. This work is his first lithographic essay, the first lithograph dated in Spain and also the first of at least ten prints that Goya produced in Spain before his trip to Bordeaux, including Duel in the Old Style, Infernal Scene, Monk, Expressive Double Force, The Rape, The Reading, Bull Beset by Dogs, Luck of the Stick in the Field and The Dream.

There are four known proofs of this lithograph: the Javier Salas collection, the National Library in Madrid, the British Museum in London and the Bloch collection.