A way of flying - Francisco Goya

A haunting etching from Goya's Los Disparates series, depicting figures attempting flight with primitive mechanical wings against a dark, atmospheric void.

A way of flying (Modo de volar) is a plate from the series Los Disparates, also known as Los Proverbios. Francisco Goya produced these works during the final years of his life in Spain. The series remains one of his most enigmatic contributions to printmaking. Unlike his earlier series, such as Los Caprichos, these images lack explicit textual commentary, leaving the viewer to interpret the surreal and often unsettling imagery independently.

The composition features several figures suspended in a dark, atmospheric void. Each figure employs a different mechanical apparatus to achieve flight. The central figure, rendered with muscular detail, grips a large, bat-like wing structure. Other figures appear beneath umbrella-shaped canopies or primitive glider frames. Goya uses aquatint to create the deep, velvety black background, which pushes the figures forward and creates a sense of isolation. The contrast between the light-toned figures and the surrounding darkness emphasises the precarious nature of their endeavour.

Historians often view these prints as a critique of human folly or a reflection on the absurdity of scientific and technological ambition during the early nineteenth century. The figures appear caught in a state of suspended animation, neither fully human nor entirely bird-like. The technical execution demonstrates Goya's mastery of etching and aquatint, using varied line weights and tonal shifts to define form within the gloom. This print captures the artist's shift toward a more personal, introspective style, moving away from the courtly commissions of his earlier career. It remains a compelling example of how Goya used the medium of print to explore themes of madness, human limitation, and the irrational.