Here Comes the Bogey-Man (Que viene el Coco), 1797-98 (etching & aquatint)

Plate three from Los Caprichos. Plate 3 of The Caprices features a mother with her two children who are frightened by a blanketed figure of el coco (the bogeyman) in the foreground. The mother’s expression contrasts with those of her children: she smiles in gratitude and appreciation. Goya is criticizing the common practice of using fear to keep children well behaved. The print also contains a spelling error, as Goya spells viene, the Spanish verb for “to come,” incorrectly. This is a common mistake due to similarity in sounds between the Spanish b and v. He corrected it in later editions of the print.