Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828).
Etching, cold point and aquatint on paper, 21.8 × 32.5 cm, Prado MuseumMadrid.
Spanish title: Fly mode.
the nonsense was not published during the artist’s lifetime. In 1864, 18 prints were published as Los Proverbios (The Proverbs)later another four were found, and from the preserved material it was also seen that Goya himself used the term Disparate – something along the lines of Follies.
fly mode was presented as number 13 in the 1864 version, but Goya has not mentioned anything about what the order should be. To what extent he must have been inspired by Leonardo daVincis (1452–1519) sketches of possible ways of flying, it is impossible to say anything for certain.
