Those Specks of Dust - Francisco Goya

A satirical etching from Goya's Los Caprichos series, depicting a figure in a coroza hat during an inquisitorial trial.

Those Specks of Dust, or Aquellos polvos, is plate 23 from the series Los Caprichos, a collection of eighty prints published by Francisco Goya in 1799. This work employs etching and aquatint to create a stark, monochromatic scene that critiques the social and religious institutions of late eighteenth-century Spain.

The composition features a central figure wearing a tall, conical hat, known as a coroza, which was historically worn by those condemned by the Spanish Inquisition. The figure sits in a hunched, submissive posture upon a raised platform. To the right, a seated official reads from a document, while a crowd of onlookers gathers below. The use of aquatint provides a grainy, atmospheric texture that defines the shadows and emphasises the grim nature of the proceedings.

Goya uses the title to reference a Spanish proverb, which suggests that small actions lead to larger consequences. By depicting the victim of an inquisitorial trial, Goya addresses the absurdity and cruelty of the judicial processes of his time. The print avoids overt moralising, instead presenting a clinical observation of human folly and institutional power. The stark contrast between the light-coloured garments of the accused and the dark, indistinct mass of the crowd draws the eye to the central narrative of judgement.

As a master of the print medium, Goya utilised the technical possibilities of aquatint to achieve tonal depth that was unusual for the period. This print remains a significant example of his ability to combine technical skill with biting social commentary. It reflects his interest in the irrational aspects of human behaviour and the systemic failures of the society he inhabited.