Tale-Bearers - Blasts of Wind, plate 48 from Los Caprichos

Published in book form in 1799, Goya’s Los caprichos (caprices) presents a dark commentary on the moral, social, and religious ills that plagued late 18th-century Spain. One of Goya’s best-known publications, the series of 80 etchings considers themes of sexuality, violence, superstition, and the fantastical nature of dreams and nightmares. Many of the prints in Los caprichos feature hordes of monstrous demons, ranging from winged owl-like creates to demonic cats and bats, as depicted in Tale-Bearers. This prints shows a bybrid bat-like figure riding a flying cat, tormenting the three monks below. The Spanish word soplón in the print’s title can mean both “gust of wind” and “tattletale” or “gossip.”