Francisco de Goya painted this small, vivid panel around 1806, one of a series of six recounting a real event that captivated Spain that year: the capture of an escaped convict known as “El Maragato” by a friar named Pedro, whom the outlaw had taken hostage along with other travelers. As the story goes, retold in songs, prints, and popular accounts across the country, the friar managed to seize the bandit's own gun, wound him, and subdue him single-handedly. Here, Goya shows the overpowered “El Maragato” sprawled on the ground as the friar beats him with the butt of the gun, a pose echoing classical images of Hercules taming wild beasts. The series captures Goya's fascination with dramatic contemporary events and everyday Spanish life, painted in miniature for his own pleasure and a few private patrons.
Printed edge to edge on a soft, durable woven area rug with a comfortable, non-slip feel.
