Present Joys

Cincinnati’s Taft Museum currently has a full first-edition set of Goya’s Caprichos. To see all 80 prints at once and in order is completely stunning. The set is really enjoyable to take in as a whole because Goya didn’t use the exact same techniques on every plate: some use aquatint very sparingly and some have deep, rich chiaroscuro aquatint; many feature a beautiful interplay between intaglio- and drypoint-etched lines; two of the plates are rendered completely with aquatint—no etched lines at all. It’s really beautiful stuff! I’m not sure where the exhibition is going next, but it’s definitely worth seeing even if you don’t know much about the printmaking process.