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The old attribution to the Mannerist painter Pellegrino Tibaldi (1527-1596) may have been suggested by the handling, with its extensive passages of white heightening, as well as the Michelangelesque figure types. Originally from the Ticino, Tibaldi spent his youth in Bologna, later transferring to Rome, where he spent much of his early career. Towards the end of his life, in 1585/86, he moved to S
Neoclassical painter Anton Raphael Mengs spent some eleven years in Spain -from 1761 to 1769, and again from 1774 to 1777- working primarily on the decoration of Madrid’s Royal Palace for King Charles III. For the king’s bedroom, Mengs made a series of easel paintings on the Passion of Christ -most importantly, Descent from the Cross, Patrimonio Nacional, on permanent loan to the Museu Nacional d’
Preparatory drawing for Disasters of War, 59, What is the use of a cup?.In this series of prints executed between 1810 and 1814 Goya offers a critical and personal vision of the consequences of the Spanish Peninsular War (1808-14) that is remote from the propagandistic images produced by his contemporaries. Through his etchings the artist condemned the irrationality of war and the brutality of bot
The scene takes place in an architectural setting with an altar on the right and an open sarcophagus on which the saint is half-kneeling. To the left, Saint Ildephonsus, wearing pontifical vestments, holds out his hands to receive the scissors that are held out by Recceswinth, standing behind the tomb. The attribution to Cajés is perfectly plausible in view of the character, the technique a
Created in the tumultuous years of the war, Sketchbook F offers a set of drawings marked by cruelty. Among the most heartrending of these is this unequal struggle between a man and a woman, by means of which Goya demonstrates his capacity to depict the essence of gender violence. The somber atmosphere of the bedroom and the lights cast on the bodies dressed in their nightgowns show the movement of
Because of its technique and theme, this Sketchbook F seems to have been produced around the same time as Album C, roughly between 1812 and 1820. The drawings were executed using a brush an iron gall ink, the same ink as used for standard writing at that time. In this case, Goya reused an old notebook due to the shortage of paper at that time. Despite its thematic variety, the Sketchbook F present
Disasters of War, 59, What is the use of a cup?. Goya devoted many of the prints in the first part of The Disasters of War to scenes in which the civilian population is the innocent victim of soldiers´ excesses, particularly with women presented as the object of the invaders´ sexual violence. Although the Disasters do not follow a strict order, there is a structure that allows us to see how Goya a
Capricho 57, The filiation. In the composition, a standing man reads to a seated woman. Both wear masks. Another man scrutinizes them with a monocle while the monkey on his shoulders looks directly out at the viewer, and various other figures appear in the background. The layout of the print does not entirely correspond to that of the preparatory drawing. The reading man has been replaced by a wo
Capricho 5, Two of a Kind is part of The Caprichos. The subject matter was common in depictions of that period. At first glance, the preparatory drawing might seem to be a simple genre scene—a lady being courted by a gentleman while two older women converse behind them—but the upper-class appearance of both the woman’s clothing (a mantilla and black shawl, a silk lace garment covering her head and
Rather than simply reflecting concrete events, Goya sought to capture their essence. He therefore placed himself alongside the action, taking part in a way that no previous artist ever had. This explains the proximity of the figures presented in each of the Disasters, which are monumental and very close to the viewer, barely leaving room for anecdotal details in the background. It is possible to i
Disparates, 10, The Kidnapping Horse, closely resembles Folly of Fear (D04274) in its technique, with light reddish washes to define the wooded background and more intense washes for the figures. Its notable similarity to the corresponding engraving (G02178) reveals that Goya conceived this drawing with considerable compositional clarity, unlike others in the series. However, he made significant c
Capricho 63, Look how solemn they are! is part of The Caprichos. The subject matter was common in representations of that period. The composition has three figures, one of whom is being ridden by the one closest to the viewer, and the same occurs in the corresponding print. These are the lazy drones who live off of others. The handwritten commentary at the Biblioteca Nacional observes: Only monstr
More has been written about Nothing. The Event will tell (number 69 of the Disasters of War), than about any other preparatory drawing for the Disasters. Its cryptic character has sparked a variety of iconographic readings, and even more interpretations that seek to divine Goya’s inner thoughts at a time that was unquestionably adverse for him in the personal sense. Its obscure meaning may well be
En esta escena Goya alude a conceptos como “moza de silla”, identificado con la práctica de la prostitución, o a expresiones tales como “sentar la cabeza”, en el sentido de volverse una persona juiciosa, entendiéndose esto como un acto de ironía por parte de Goya. El tipo de sillas y la contraposición entre las mujeres y los petimetres permite suponer una escena paródica del madrileño Paseo o Saló
Disasters of War, 63, Harvest of the Dead.Goya devoted many of the prints in the first part of The Disasters of War to scenes in which the civilian population is the innocent victim of soldiers´ excesses, particularly with women presented as the object of the invaders´ sexual violence. Although the Disasters do not follow a strict order, there is a structure that allows us to see how Goya approach
Disasters of War, 58, It’s no use crying out. Goya devoted many of the prints in the first part of The Disasters of War to scenes in which the civilian population is the innocent victim of soldiers´ excesses, particularly with women presented as the object of the invaders´ sexual violence. Although the Disasters do not follow a strict order, there is a structure that allows us to see how Goya appr
The Queen Maria Amalia died on 27 September 1760, leaving Charles III a widower. He never remarried. This etching shows the funeral held in Barcelona. The work of the brothers Francisco and Manuel Tramullas, the print represents different allegories crowned by Eternal Bliss.
Disasters of War, 40, He gets something out of it.In this series of prints executed between 1810 and 1814 Goya offers a critical and personal vision of the consequences of the Spanish Peninsular War (1808-14) that is remote from the propagandistic images produced by his contemporaries. Through his etchings the artist condemned the irrationality of war and the brutality of both sides, which inevita
