The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (Spanish: El sueño de la razón produce monstruos ), rarely also dream of reason produces monsters, is a graphic work of Spanish artist Francisco de Goya ( 1746-1828 ).

It is the image 43 of 80 executed in the technique of aquatint etchings from Goya's 1799 published collection " Caprichos " (Eng. " whims ", " ideas " ) and is one of the most important and most frequently interpreted in graphic works of art history. It was originally planned as a title page of the collection.

Since sueño can mean both "sleep " and " dream ", one has interpreted the work in many different ways: If the ascending in the background of hunched over his drawing table artist " monster " products of a creative activity of the dream or develop them if the reason not " wake up ", but is shut down? Accordingly: If reason and enlightenment here affirmed or criticized?