Museo del Prado-Goya: Cien Dibujos Ineditos
Today we present a selection of drawings by 18th-century Spanish artist, Francisco Goya (1746-1828) from Goya, subtitled Cien Dibujos Ineditos (On Hundred Unpublished Drawings), published in Madrid by the Jesús López publishing house in 1928 in association with the Museo del Prado. Possibly most well-known for his painting Saturn Devouring his Son (1820-1823), Goya began his career as a portraitist for the Count of Floridablanca in 1780 when he was already 37. How late! Most portraitists began their careers much earlier in their lives, however this would not stop Goya from painting some pretty remarkable portraits. Eventually, Goya would be awarded the title as First Court Painter for the Spanish Royal Family around the start of the 1800s where he would split his work between painting portraits for the current sitting king and capturing scenes from the Peninsular War (1808-1814) between Spain and Napoleonic France. Francisco Goya would move to Bordeaux, France in 1827 and would pass away in 1828 at the age of 82.
Francisco Goya may be most remembered for his ill health (he went completely deaf after an intense illness) and his infamous Pinturas Negras (Black Paintings) painted directly onto the walls of his French country estate; however, what these sketches show is how talented Goya was beyond the select facts most repeated about his life. They show his mastery over space, motion, and his impeccable line work, with a few retaining some of the darker elements he is best known for.
-- Olivia, Special Collections Art History Fieldworker
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