A Way of Flying, from Disparates, published as plate 13 in Los Proverbios (Proverbs)

Near the end of his life, Francisco de Goya created a satirical series of etchings published as Los proverbios (Proverbs). The series was also known as Los disparates, meaning “nonsense” or “follies.” Although Goya often used flying as a symbol of man’s evil and vanity, this group of prints contains some of his most mysterious and complex imagery, which he intentionally left open to many interpretations.