19-03 Francisco Goya

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Francisco Goya – A Revolutionary Figure in Western Art
This briefing outlines the life, artistic development, and impact of Francisco Goya (1746–1828), a groundbreaking Spanish artist whose work bridges the Old Masters and modern art.

1. Early Life and Artistic Beginnings (1746–1786)
Born in Fuendetodos, Spain, to a gilder, Goya showed early talent in drawing. Apprenticed to José Luzán, his training involved copying prints before failing twice to secure a Royal Academy scholarship in Madrid. In 1770, a formative trip to Italy exposed him to Baroque and Rococo styles, enriching his early tapestry cartoons with vitality.
Goya married into the Bayeu family in 1773, gaining court connections and the support of his brother-in-law, Francisco Bayeu. His charisma and wit secured him positions at the Spanish court under King Charles III and Charles IV. Early works like The Parasol (1777) and The Fair at Madrid (1779) served as tapestry designs; his Christ on the Cross (1780) marked his Academy acceptance, balancing classical formality with human suffering.

2. Illness and Darker Artistic Themes (From 1792)
In 1792, a severe illness left Goya deaf, which deepened his creativity and shifted his style toward darkness and psychological intensity. He created Los Caprichos (1796–1799), a series of prints criticizing superstition and social hypocrisy. The famous plate The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters symbolized how irrationality thrives without reason.
As court painter, Goya portrayed royalty with stark realism in Charles IV of Spain and His Family (1800–1801), subtly mocking his subjects. His Clothed Maja and Nude Maja boldly explored sensuality and faced Inquisition scrutiny, the latter notable as the first major Western nude showing pubic hair explicitly.
By 1805, fully deaf, Goya’s portraits like Doña Isabel de Porcel captured psychological depth through subtle gestures rather than conversation.

3. Witnessing War: Depictions of Violence (1808–1823)
The Napoleonic invasion of Spain profoundly affected Goya, leading to some of his most harrowing works. His Disasters of War series (1810–1820) graphically depicted starvation, mutilation, and brutality without political bias, revealing humanity’s capacity for cruelty. These prints remained unpublished until 1863 due to their sensitivity.
His painting The Third of May 1808 (1814) remains a powerful condemnation of violence, showing executed Spanish rebels illuminated by a lantern, with a Christ-like martyr figure symbolizing defiance. Kenneth Clark described it as the first truly revolutionary painting in style, subject, and intention.
Between 1819 and 1823, Goya painted the Black Paintings onto his house walls—dark, nightmarish works like Saturn Devouring His Son and Witches’ Sabbath—reflecting his pessimism shaped by personal suffering and societal turmoil.

4. Exile, Later Works, and Enduring Legacy (1824–1828)
Facing political repression, Goya exiled himself to Bordeaux, France, continuing to paint despite frailty. The Milkmaid of Bordeaux (c. 1825–1827), his last oil painting, displays vibrant, loose brushwork, a luminous portrayal contrasting his darker late works.
Goya died in 1828, heralded as both the last Old Master and the first modern artist. His revolutionary subjects, psychological insight, and raw depiction of humanity influenced Romanticism, Impressionism, and Expressionism. His Disasters of War and The Third of May 1808 inspired later masters such as Picasso (Guernica) and Manet (Execution of Emperor Maximilian).

Conclusion:
Francisco Goya evolved from a skilled court painter into a visionary who courageously exposed humanity’s darkest facets. Deafness and personal suffering intensified his art’s psychological and social critique. His break from academic norms and fearless portrayal of reality mark him as a key transitional figure, bridging classical tradition and modernity.