“no one captures the destitution of the soul like goya.”
repost from my thread on twitter because i can’t stop thinking about this.
goya painted a series of "black paintings" (which are pretty uncomfy to look at) in isolation onto the walls of his own home which he never intended anyone to see. each one possesses dark colours and themes, meant to fit into the darker corners of his home.
just as malcolm explained, they were painted while goya suffered a psychotic break from lead poisoning.
could malcolm owning at least one of these works be indicative of how malcolm’s repressed trauma will lead him to suffer the same fate as goya?
"Christ on the Mount of Olives" - the beginning of madness
malcolm's goya in 2x02 is called "Christ on the Mount of Olives". it depicts jesus praying as an angel appears to him holding two chalices. what’s interesting is that this painting actually anticipates goya's "dark paintings", thus proving to be the 'starting point' of all the madness to follow.
its an obvious cry for help that neither goya nor malcolm received and foreshadows malcolm's descent into insanity.
"The Last Communion of St Joseph of Calasanz" - the descent to insanity
this is the painting behind malcolm in 2x09. its a goya piece called "The Last Communion of St Joseph of Calasanz". in it, a man receives his final communion before he dies.
obviously, the painting reminds us of the goya in 2x02, where malcolm tells dani goya eventually died from insanity. this piece shows a couple things: life, death, and religious intervention (the beam of light illuminating the dying man).
malcolm’s development in s2 has seemed to mimic goya's so far in that his own mind seems to be leading him to the brink of a possible psychotic break...and it seems that malcolm is in dire need of that intervention (not specifically religious) before he drives himself off the edge.
the painting was also part of collection of goya's "black paintings" which were haunting as they depicted goya's fear of insanity and a rather pessimistic outlook on life.
kinda sounds familiar, right?
when malcolm is painting with his mother in 2x09, his painting depicts a bloodied pear AND knife. but notice his strokes. theyre a little distorted and heavily similar to what the man suffering from lead poisoning did to "Madonna and Child" in 2x02.
why else would they choose art therapy to start the episode? malcolm’s painting is shown after focusing on the painting behind him for quite a significant amount of time.
later in the episode, malcolm suffers from hallucinations of his father and mentions it to be a sign of psychosis. will malcolm’s lies and repressed trauma lead him to a full-on psychotic break, just like goya?
he seems to be on the brink of a psychotic break and trapped inside his own head.
"Saturn Devouring his Son"
while not featured in the show, one of goya's most well-known paintings was "Saturn Devouring his Son". in it, saturn kills his son because he feels he might overthrow him. could be totally unrelated, but could hold some significance.
the painting could also be metaphorically representative of how martin ruined malcolm’s chance at a normal life.
malcolm living alone surrounded by his 'demons' (much like goya when he created the haunting "dark paintings") really creeps me out. bravo to whoever decided on this symbolism/foreshadowing!!!
i wonder if we’ll see a third, more disturbing, painting before the end of the season?
i’d love to know your thoughts!
original post: https://twitter.com/prodigalbright/status/1385390752537137156?s=20
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