Francisco Goya

Considered to be the Father of modern Art, Goya began painting at the end of the Baroque period. He painted his emotions, a trend that came into its own in the 19th Century. Goya lived and painted over the span of 60 years. A lot can happen in a persons life in that time. A lot can happen in the world in that time. He began by painting 'happier' paintings and cartoons, as he grew and became more cynical his paintings took on a darker undertone. When he became old and disillusioned with life, you end up with what you see in the above painting, those which are dark and bitter. Compare the The Miracle Of St Anthony with Saturn Devouring His Sons (the above picture) or Witches in the Air to May 3, 1808 or Procession Of Flagellants On Good Friday and The Fall (La Caída) Goya's later, more Bleak paintings, particularly those that deal with the horrors of War, took on a darker style with more broad brush strokes and darker colors. His later portraits are Real and honest, not Idealized i... Read more

Goya's style is distinct, powerful, and brutally symbolic. However, I find his subject in this particular painting very repulsive. His depiction hit home, but it's just way too graphic for me.

It reminds me of Saladore Dali's real sick stuff.

gross, disgusting.... ewwww!!

THIS IS GROSE

One of Goya's later paintings "Saturn Devouring his Children" (aka the Titan Cronus in Greek Mythology (Saturn in Roman), who devoured his children to avert the prophesy of one them overthrowing him... until Zues was spirited away by his mother at birth, and yes, returned when full grown to kill his father and release his siblings - which is the sort of thing only gods can do). Goya was the court painter to Charles IV, and the naturalism is exceptional. The Spanish war brought out the rebel in him and led him to paint more realism... including his most famous painting "The Third of May". Gruesome perhaps... but also historically relevant.

dang! are all his pictures like this? If i hung this in my bedroom I would have nightmares.

He kind of freaks me out

Brilliant, profoundly disturbing, utterly compelling.  His work shows immense layers of subtlety, revealing character with each brushstroke.

Possibly my favorite artist of all time, or maybe it's Bosch. At any rate, the reviewer below did such a brilliant and complete job summarizing Goya that I'd suggest you read his review.

Sorry,a long one.Thanks to an excellent BBC documentary,i've now been looking again at Goya.Did i say Velasquez was the greatest artist from Spain,(a country with 5 of Rateitall's top 13,by the way)?I was premature.Goya's range is breathtaking,his dark,disturbing imagination and vision unique,his technique tremendous.He encompasses the whole breadth of human experience and emotions.His is a world not only of Royalty and aristocrats(he was Court painter),but also of grotesque suffering,of witchcraft and demons,warfare and political satire.His Clothed Maja and Nude Maja are gloriously,lustily sensuous-the latter made the TV Art critic wish he could dive into the painting and spend a wonderful afternoon,like a bee in a flower;the Portrait of Francisca Sabasa Garcia has a lovely tenderness;the brilliant portrait of Charles IV and his family may seem flattering but from beneath the pomp and regal posing,their true characters-haughty,dopey,shrewish,suspicious,matronly- come through clearly,u... Read more

Viva la patria