Francisco Goya - Masterpiece Curations

Learn more about the Spanish artist, Francisco Goya with this free artist study by Masterpiece Society.

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (pronunciation) was born on March 30th, 1746. During his lifetime, the world would see the last of the Old Masters—those masterful artists from the 17th and 18th centuries. He was born in a small and humble village called Fuendetodos in Aragon, Spain.

His family was of no importance, and neither was he, at that time. However, they later moved to Zaragoza, where Goya began to paint, and his work began to mature during the Spanish Enlightenment under Charles III. It wasn’t long before he moved to Madrid, joining a studio of fellow artist brothers, Francisco and Ramón. Goya eventually married their sister, Josefa.

Francisco studied under the artist, Anton Raphael Mengs. However, their relationship was rocky as they argued often and their personalities were constantly clashing. However, Francisco would mature and in 1786, at the age of forty, he became the court painter to the Spanish aristocracy. Most of his artwork of the day was of that aristocracy.

“Painting (like poetry) chooses from universals what is most apposite. It brings together, in a single imaginary being, circumstances and characteristics which occur in nature in many different persons.” ~Francisco Goya

***El baile de San Antonio de la Florida***

He was never a man of philosophy or intellect. He painted from the heart and thought nothing of artistic theories. His heart gave him bright and lively artwork in his early career, but that artwork slowly turned dark—even haunting.

In 1793, Goya became sick for a long period and was left deaf. His life became characterized by a deep depression afterwards. The works of his brush grew darker and darker, yet his skill grew at the same time.

In 1799, he became the Primer Pintor de Cámara, which was the highest position for a painter. And even eight years later when Napoleon led his invasion of Spain, Goya remained despite the French occupation.

These times of bloodshed and senseless violence, coupled with his deafness and depression, birthed paintings of equal darkness: The Second of May 1808 and The Third of May 1808 collectively showcase the terror of the French hostilities.

Some years later in 1819 he began work on the famed Black Paintings, his darkest and most intense works. These were works that were meant to haunt. Many of his artworks showed insanity and death, and though his thoughts and beliefs were very seldom expressed, they were clearly exposed in these dark pieces.

After moving to Bordeaux in France, he began creating prints. Sadly, there he suffered a stroke and soon after, lost his eyesight. Goya died on the 16th of April, 1828, at the age of 82, four years after moving to France.

When contacted concerning his burial in Madrid, they ordered to “Send Goya, with or without the head.” And morbidly, his skull was missing from his body. This final cruel twist of fate reflected the dark tone of his haunting pieces.

From Yard with Lunatics (click here to see this painting) to the terrifying Saturn Devouring His Son, (click here to see this painting) Goya’s headless fate was, perhaps, poetic. Despite his later period of darker works, Francisco Goya is known as a Romantic painter since he painted during the Romanticism movement. So instead of ending with the “Black Paintings,” we choose to show one of his lovelier ones, The Swing. 😉