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What a Tailor Can Do! (Lo que puede un Sastre!)

1797-1798, published 1799
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746–1828)
Goya often turned his critical eye on the authority of the church as well as the foolish public who blindly devote themselves to religious figures. Here a young woman kneels before what appears to be a person draped in a monk’s cowl. Closer inspection reveals that the robes actually cover a tree with outstretched branches. The people in the background earnestly pray to the apparition or recoil in fear and awe, not recognizing the trick.

Object Details

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