The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters Auction History

First edition (1799): Published by Goya in Madrid as Plate 43 of Los Caprichos [1].

1918: Gift of M. Knoedler & Co. to The Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of a complete first-edition set (acc. 18.64(1–80)); this sheet is 18.64(43) [1][2]. Earlier private ownership for this specific impression is not published on the Met’s record.

This impression of Plate 43, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, is part of The Met’s complete first-edition set of Los Caprichos, a status particularly prized by collectors because it was printed by or under the direct supervision of Goya in 1799 [1]. Goya publicly advertised the series on 6 February 1799 for 320 reales per set, confirming its contemporary market introduction and pricing [3]. In 1803 he transferred the plates and remaining impressions to the Crown, and later 19th‑century editions were pulled by the Calcografía, creating a hierarchy of value in which lifetime first editions command the strongest prices [4].

While The Met’s sheet has no public auction record (it entered the museum as a 1918 gift) [1][2], robust market indicators exist for comparable impressions. A strong first‑edition Plate 43 realized $81,250 in a dedicated Christie’s online sale in 2020, illustrating sustained demand for this emblematic image (Delteil 80; Harris 78) [5]. Another first‑edition impression was offered by Sotheby’s London in 2023 at £12,000–18,000, in line with recent ranges for single plates, though the final result was not publicly posted [6]. At the top of the print market for this series, complete first‑edition sets have achieved seven figures, including the $1,445,000 result at Christie’s New York in 2014, a key benchmark for Caprichos as a whole [7].

Within Goya’s broader market, record prices for paintings—$16.42 million at Christie’s in 2023—sit far above individual prints, underscoring how works on paper remain comparatively accessible while still culturally central to the artist’s legacy [8]. For museums and collectors, a first‑edition Plate 43 combines canonical status with tangible market depth, even as institutionally held examples like The Met’s are not available and carry no auction history [1][2][5][7].