Embedded Files
Riley finally got around to the fun paintings she has wanted to talk about.
Goya's Black Paintings
Goya's Black Paintings
By Riley Barta
By Riley Barta
Francisco de Goya was a Spanish artist in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Goya experienced a fruitful career as a court painter until an unknown illness incapacitated him for a year. This affliction left Goya permanently deaf in both ears. Unfortunately, in 1819, Goya caught the same illness once again and nearly died. During this time, Goya painted directly on the walls of his home creating the Black Paintings.
The Black Paintings, a series of 14 works, get the name from the primary usage of dark colors. This style choice is a stark contrast to Goya’s earlier works. As an artist for the Spanish court, Goya illustrated portraits of nobility and, as a Romanticist, scenes of everyday beauty. These were expressed with lighter, airy color palettes. For example, The Parasol shows a man holding a parasol over a lady sitting on the ground. The colors used in this painting are bright and happy. Little color is used in the Black Paintings, adding to the feeling of dread they present. This can be seen especially in the painting “Men Reading”. What (in theory) would be a serene scene, a group of men crowding over a book, is made ominous with Goya’s usage of a limited color palette.
These paintings were created during Goya’s self-imposed exile in the countryside. He escaped into his home, known as Quinta del Sordo (Villa of the Deaf One), and refrained from visiting anyone for several years. His physical ailments had worsened to the point of mental illness. However, this was not the only thing Goya had afflicting his mind. Goya had been living through the Napoleonic wars. Many, such as the Madrid Academy of Art, attribute the dark themes of Goya’s later works to this: “[the Black Paintings] were inspired by the artist's dark experiences during the Napoleonic Wars.” The impact of war is prevalent in some of Goya’s Black Paintings. “Men Reading” shows a group of men huddled over a piece of paper. According to Artchive, an online art encyclopedia, “It contains veiled criticisms of Spaniards’ ineffectual rulers and their circles.” The men in the painting are all crowding one another, and yet they only have one pen and one paper.
One of the most famous paintings to come out of this collection is “Saturn Devouring his Son”. This painting is based off of the Roman myth of Saturn. Set on a black background, in the foreground, as Saturn is seen consuming his son. His face holds a horrified expression, leading some to consider whether or not Saturn is being forced to eat his child. Originally, in the myth, Saturn devours his children in fear of them overthrowing him. This illustrates the conflict commonly found between old ways and new ways. However, his horrified expression gives way to a new interpretation of the myth. According to Britannica, “The god’s wide-eyed stare suggests madness and paranoia, and he seems unselfconscious in carrying out his horrific act.” The theme of the painting shifts from struggle between new and old to the incessant urge to consume.
"Saturn Devouring his Son" by Goya
Goya’s Black Paintings were made, in part, to allow Goya to explore human nature. After experiencing both physical and societal turmoil, Goya was left floundering in his own psyche. He was left alone, in the dark, in silence. Out of these conditions were the Black Paintings formed. Fourteen pieces of art that portray the dark and horrific aspects of humanity.
Page updated
Report abuse