CHAN Chung Ngai talks on deGoyaMalaMuujer(WickedWoman)1801-03

1) INTRODUCE THE DRAWING IN GENERAL TERMS

•What is the title of the drawing?

Mala Mujer (Wicked Woman)

•What is the name of the artist?

Francisco Goya (Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes)

•What is the year the drawing was done?

1801 - 1803

•What is the medium? (ie the materials used to produce the picture, for example charcoal on paper, pen and ink etc)

Ink on paper


•What is the subject matter or general theme of the work? (eg is it a figure drawing, a map, a portrait, an autobiographical work, a picture about nature, a drawing of the city etc?)

a figure drawing (a witch with a baby)


•What is the purpose of the drawing? (eg Is it a diagram that explains how something works? Does it record accurately record the appearance of something? Does it express the artist's emotion or memory? )

The work is the one of a series of prints titled Caprichos depicting what Goya called. Its purpose is about the depiction of some black social activities. (Goya: ...the innumerable foibles and follies to be found in any civilized society, and from the common prejudices and deceitful practices which custom, ignorance, or self-interest have made usual.)



2) DESCRIBE THE DRAWING IN DETAIL


•How is line used? What does it do/express?
Soft and repeated line used, it express the characters in the picture with realistic style.


•How is tone used? What does it do/express?
The witch in the picture is with a dark tone, and the baby and the background are with a bright tone. It expresses the witch looks evil with the dark tone of her dress and, in fact, the witch looks more evil in contrast with the bright tone of the baby and the background.


•What can you say about shape and/or form in this picture? What is the effect?
The shape of the characters in the picture are realistic. The realistic style is more persuasive that you may believe the event happening in the picture.


•Is texture a feature of the drawing?
There are the facial skin texture and the fold of the dress of the witch expressed obviously by the light and the shading.


•What can you say about the composition of the drawing? What is the effect of this type of composition on the overall drawing?
The witch's head is the center in the picture as the focus of the picture at the first sight. It makes you follow the witch's eye line of sight, and you will see the baby. The baby's hand and hip are grabbed by the witch, and you will see the hands of the witch. The composition of the picture invites the audience to see step by step.


•Is rhythm important in this picture? If so, say more about it...
I would like to say that the picture invites the audience to see step by step is the rhythm of the picture which is important. The rhythm makes the picture more interesting and active.


•Is the picture balanced? Explain...
Not too balanced, about the composition, the characters are at the low part of the picture in contrast with the high part of the picture which is empty. On the other hand, the witch is also unbalanced who slope to the left. It creates the unstable feeling to the audience.


•Is perspective used in the picture? If so, describe the way that the illusion of three-dimensional space has been created.
The cups and plates are little bit behind the witch and the baby. The way to create the perspective in the picture are three. First, it is making the cups and the plants look small. Second, it is making the color of the cups and the plants look light. Third, it is making the line of the cups and the plants look soft. The second and third ways that it is because the further the perspective is, the lighter its line and the color are.


•Is the picture harmonious? If so, in what way?
The picture is quite harmonious, at least not disharmonious. The color of the picture is black and white which is neutral, and black and white are harmonious with each other.

•Are there any strong contrasts in the picture? Say more...
There are big contrast bewteen the witch's dress and the baby about the tone. The witch's dress is dark and the baby is bright. The tone of the characters also show their feature and situation in contrast. The witch is evil because she looks dark, and the baby is innocent because he looks bright.


3) INTERPRETATION AND EVALUATION


•What is the mood of the drawing? Justify your answer using information from your responses above

The drawing is with a dark mood. It is because the witch in the picture is with a dark tone, and the baby and the background are with a bright tone. It expresses the witch looks evil with the dark tone of her dress and, in fact, the witch looks more evil in contrast with the bright tone of the baby and the background. The evil witch is killing the innocent baby.

•What does the drawing express? Justify your answer using information from your responses above
In the picture, the evil witch is killing the innocent baby. In fact, the work is the one of a series of prints titled Caprichos depicting what Goya called. Its purpose is about the depiction of some black social activities. The witch in the picture represents the rulers. The baby in the picture represents the people and the justice. The rulers are imperious, hypocritical, corrupt. They are killing the people and the justice at that time.

•In your opinion, why is this work interesting/moving/ clever/ imaginative/thought-provoking/......? Choose the adjective(s) that best fit(s) the work, and then justify your conclusion in terms of specific features and qualities of the drawing.
The work is imaginative because the character in the picture, the witch, is created by superstition. Moreover, the witch in the work symbolize the 19C Italian rulers, and the baby in the work symbolize the people and the justice at that time. The symbolization is imaginative.