As a printmaker Goya created personal and often controversial images, far removed from his official commissions for the Spanish Court. The print series Los caprichos is a set of eighty satirical images. The grainy tone has been achieved using a powdered rosin (called aquatint) applied in a fine layer on selected areas of the metal etching plate. The plate is immersed in acid, which bites around the rosin to create a roughened surface. Goya’s use of aquatint is considered the most accomplished by any historical artist.