The Universal Ydioma of Goya

Abstract

At the end of the 18th century Francisco de Goya, apart from his usual painting, decides to create Los Caprichos, a series of engravings where he announces that he will put an image to the ridicule of his society using what he calls «universal language». So, he sets out to tread on the terrain of visual communication with images that are critical of his society in the path of his Enlightenment group of friends. In this way, he gets into the problems of design that a graphic message destined for massive diffusion. This work serves as a reflection on the relationship between art and design and their different creative strategy of expression and visual communication. The contradiction between commisioned art and whimsical design is posed here, as well as the challenge of creating a universal visual language. With Los Caprichos, Goya sets a precedent for what are the most committed editorial images in the press of our times.