The chinchillas

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Author's text

This print is probably the one in which Goya most harshly criticises an uneducated, idle and arrogant aristocracy. The artist tries to ridicule these high class people through some unusual coat of arms shaped padlocks which ‘narrow’ their minds. Their armours are not longer useful, but prisons which in truth prevent their brains from reasoning. Since blind ignorance rules their lives, the sole thing they can actually do is pray the rosary.

In order to elaborate this print, Goya was inspired by a stage play of his time whose protagonists were Pedro Chinchilla and his nephew. Both of them were conceited duffers who bragged about their lineage, yet highly incompetent characters unable to deal with any kind of matter.

Nowadays the aristocracy has been replaced by another ‘social class’: the politicians. The resemblance between these two groups of people is uncanny. Not only do they own narrow minds, but also their eyes and ears remain shut despite criticism. Being the personification of indifference, arrogance and incompetence, these present Chinchillas are a social scourge, still resignedly tolerated and allowed by us, the working class.

Goya's comment

The one who hears nothing, knows nothing and does nothing belongs to the Chinchillas large family which is full of useless human beings.

Comparison with the original print