Artists inspire: Francisco Goya - my stories about artists of the past, vol.11. Biography, paintings, stories:)

In my introduction I said that I graduated as an art critic. How a few years I worked at the museum in my city, but finally I became an artist myself. But I still have full head of interesting fakts and storys about great artists of past, which got me thinking: why not to share my knowledge here?:)

Today my story is about Francisco Goya - an artist of the ideals of the French revolution and a hater of the bourgeoisie. The artist, who was threatened with death by representatives of the Inquisition. An artist whom the king of France called an atheist and threatened to hang.

Goya was born on March 30, 1746. He spent his childhood in a village where he learned to read and write at a monastic school, and then went to study at the workshop of Jose Lusano Martinez. His teacher was a mediocre artist, practicing academic art. He moved to Madrid, where he twice tried to enter the Art Academy. He did not succeed.

Then he decides to travel. He visits Rome, Naples and Parma. Adventurer and fighter - he remains true to himself. The story tells that one day he raided a convent, kidnapped a beautiful Italian from there and fought for her in a duel.

In 1771 Goya returns to Zaragoza, where he begins to study church painting. After 12 years he will receive his first government order - he draws a portrait of a grandee, for which he receives a lot of money and fame. Goya becomes a court portraitist.

In the fall of 1792, Goya is seriously ill. He temporarily loses sight, for some time remains paralyzed. The hearing is completely lost. Researchers believe that these were the consequences of syphilis borne in youth. Deafness complicated his life, but the artist did not stop working and in 1799 became the court painter Charles the sixth.

In this period of his life he draws two most famous pictures of all his life: Dressed and Naked Mahas. Exactly for these paintings he was nearly declared a sorcerer by inqiusition. People looked at the paintings and felt like they were like alive. Fortunately, Goya had patrons at court, and the Spanish Inquisition no longer had such power as before.

The artist's health worsened. He works more and more in engraving techniques, creating series dedicated to the auto-da-fe and the horrors of war. In his paintings begins to appear contempt for the ruling elite. Look at the picture "The Family of the Carol the Fourth."

People wear luxury cloth, they all shine with richness and glory. But look again. Look, how ugly are thier meanless faces.

In 1819, he left Madrid and retired to the so-called "Quinta del Sordo" - the house of the deaf. He covers the walls of the house from the inside with gloomy frescoes, "black canvases" - hallucinations of an elderly, mentally unhealthy person. The artist leaves to be treated to France, escaping from the monarch Ferdinand who ascended to the throne, who directly stated to the artist "You are worthy of a loop".

"Saturn devouring his children"

Goya died on April 16, 1828. Theophile Gautier later wrote about him:

-"The site rests on old Spanish art, irretrievably gone world of brave bullfighters, true macho and charming manolos, a world of villains and witches. In a word - all the richest folklore of Spain. And let the master think that this is nothing but meaningless artistic whims. Time has shown: he created a real historical portrait of his homeland."

Here I must say that a short blog post is not enough to talk of everythig about Goya I'd like to. So later I'll create a few posts about my beloved artpieces:) 

I hope you enjoyed my short blog post:) If you did, please resteem, upvote and follow, it would be great to know that I'm not just talking to myself here:)

Thank you for watching!:)

Love, Inber