The priest balanced precariously on a noticeably fraying rope may allude to the unstable authority of the church under the restored monarchy of Spanish King Ferdinand VII. In the preparatory drawing for the print the figure wears a papal tiara, indicating Goya’s initial intent to represent Pope Pius VII. Goya removed the identifying detail in the etching in order to avoid the condemnation of the Inquisition.

This etching belongs to the final section of Los Desastres, part of a group of allegorical scenes known as the caprichos enfaticos (emphatic caprices). In these images Goya reflects on the oppressive political atmosphere in Spain after the war.