The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters or The Dream of Reason Produces Monsters (Spanish: El sueño de la razón produce monstruos) is an aquatint by the Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco Goya. Created between 1797 and 1799 for the Diario de Madrid, it is the 43rd of the 80 aquatints making up the satirical Los caprichos.
Subject Los Caprichos is a series of 80 etchings published in 1799 wherein Goya criticized the rampant political, social, and religious abuses of the time period. In this series of etchings, Goya heavily utilized the popular technique of caricature, which he enriched with artistic innovation. Goya's usage of the recently developed technique of aquatint (etching a printing plate so that tones similar to watercolor washes can be reproduced) gave Los Caprichos pronounced tonal effects and spirited contrast that made them a major achievement in the history of engraving. Of the 80 aquatints, number 43, "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters", can be viewed as Goya's personal manifesto. Many observers believe that Goya intended to depict himself asleep amidst his drawing tools, his reason dulled by slumber, bedeviled by creatures that prowl in the dark. The creatures that appear in the work are often associated in Spanish folk tradition with mystery and evil; the owls surrounding Goya may be symbols of folly, and the swarming bats may symbolize ignorance. The title of the print, as marked on the front of the desk, is typically read as proclaiming Goya's adherence to the values of the Enlightenment: without reason, evil and corruption prevail. Goya also included a caption for this print that may suggest a different interpretation: "Imagination abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters; united with her, she is the mother of the arts and source of their wonders". On this interpretation, Goya believed that imagination should never be completely renounced in favor of the strictly rational, as imagination (in combination with reason) is what produces works of artistic innovation. Implied in Goya's preparatory inscription, the artist's nightmare reflects his view of Spanish society, which he portrayed in the Caprichos as demented, corrupt, and ripe for ridicule. The full epigraph for Capricho No. 43 reads; "Fantasy abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters: united with her [reason], she [fantasy] is the mother of the arts and the origin of their marvels."
Goya and satire Goya's print has sometimes been interpreted in the context of satire. During the late 18th and early 19th century in Spain, his paintings and etchings combined artistic innovation with social criticism to create visually satirical works. Goya created numerous portraits of Spanish royalty that were quite realistic, and completed these portraits with jarring social commentary that marked a departure from the practice of painting royal figures with sensational opulence and splendor. Los Caprichos, Goya's set of 80 aquatints that were published in the year 1799, emphasize the flaws inherent in humans. The series as a whole deals with the vices of "vanity, greed, superstition, promiscuity and delusion". In this context, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters is a literal depiction of the treacherous lengths of human irrationality, and the implications of excessive illogicality without the counterbalance of reason. The other aquatints in Los Caprichos incorporate contentious subjects including marriage, prostitution, the law, and the Church; some of these works feature specific and targeted political satire, implying Goya's dismay at the developments of Spanish political life. Goya supplemented these works with caustic and sardonic captions, augmenting the satirical effect.
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