1797-1798, published 1799

To Rise and to Fall (Subir y bajar)

Spanish, 1746 - 1828

The grinning man, dressed in a military jacket with bolts of lightning in his hand, was recognizable to contemporary viewers as Manuel Godoy, the prime minister of Spain. Rising to power as Queen Maria Luisa’s lover, Godoy is here held aloft by a satyr, a traditional symbol of lust. He looms above the earth, hurling fire down at his rivals. This direct political commentary is rare in Los Caprichos and suggests Goya’s dissatisfaction with the recent instability in the government.