When Day Breaks We Will Be Off, Plate 71

When Day Breaks We Will Be Off, Plate 71 — Francisco Goya. 1799.

Medium: etching and aquatint. Dimensions: Image: 17.3 x 12.7 cm (6 13/16 x 5 in.); Plate: 19.7 x 14.9 cm (7 3/4 x 5 7/8 in.); Sheet: 32 x 22.4 cm (12 5/8 x 8 13/16 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

Francisco de Goya used printmaking to explore subjects that stirred controversy when represented in more public media, such as oil painting. This print belongs to Los Caprichos, a series of enigmatic images that critique the hypocrisy and irrationality the artist observed throughout contemporary Spanish society. Here, a group of witches prepares to fly without broomsticks or sight, suggesting ignorance and obliviousness. The dense and starry sky behind them was created using layers of aquatint—a technique that Goya was among the earliest and most expert artists to adopt.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.