1797-1798, published 1799

Pretty Teacher! (Linda maestra!)

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes

Spanish, 1746 - 1828

With his strong aversion to superstition, Goya often portrayed scenes of witches and their rituals. This ironically titled print captures the moment when a haggard, old witch initiates a young woman into her practices. The nude women are accompanied by a night owl—a Spanish slang term for prostitute—that suggests a deeper meaning to the nocturnal scene.

Goya expertly manipulates his etched lines to describe a broad range of textures, from the wind-whipped hair of the women and the bristles of the broom to the foliage in the foreground.