Francisco Goya
A Spanish master who evolved from royal painter to a searing commentator on human folly, war, and darkness.
1746–1828 (age 82)·Spanish painter and printmaker·Birthday: March 30
Biography
Francisco Goya's career traces a breathtaking arc from the glittering heights of the Spanish court to the profound depths of private, haunting introspection. Appointed as a court painter in 1786, his early works captured the finery and foibles of royalty with a fluid, sometimes slyly critical, elegance. A severe illness in 1793 left him deaf, marking a pivotal turn toward more personal and expressive subjects, exemplified by the biting satires of 'Los Caprichos.' The brutal Peninsular War (1808-1814) shattered any remaining illusions, leading to the raw horror of 'The Disasters of War' prints and the monumental 'The Third of May 1808.' In his final years, living in self-imposed exile in Bordeaux, he produced the chilling 'Black Paintings' directly on his home's walls, leaving a legacy that broke from tradition and spoke directly to the modern psyche.
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Francisco's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1746Born
1751Started school
1759Became a teenager
1762Could drive
1764Could vote
1767Turned 21
1776Turned 30
1786Turned 40
1796Turned 50
1806Turned 60
1816Turned 70
1826Turned 80
1828Died at 82
Key Achievements
- He was appointed First Court Painter to King Charles IV of Spain, producing official portraits like 'The Family of Charles IV'.
- His series of 80 etchings, 'Los Caprichos' (1799), offered a groundbreaking satirical critique of social and political corruption.
- His paintings 'The Second of May 1808' and 'The Third of May 1808' are among the first great artworks depicting the atrocities of modern warfare.
- He completed over 500 oil paintings and murals, in addition to hundreds of drawings and prints across his lifetime.
- The 'Black Paintings,' 14 murals painted in his later years, are considered seminal works of proto-Expressionist art.
Did You Know?
Goya's official court title was 'Pintor de Cámara,' a position previously held by the famed Diego Velázquez.
He painted the Spanish royal family, including Queen Maria Luisa, with a famously unflattering realism that bordered on caricature.
The exact cause of his 1793 illness, which led to his deafness, remains a mystery, with theories ranging from lead poisoning to syphilis.
He signed some of his later works with a neologism, 'Goya sordo' (Goya the deaf).
His final home in Bordeaux, France, where he created his last works, was called 'Quinta del Sordo' (House of the Deaf Man).
