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.
#1 When Francisco Was Born
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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).
“The sleep of reason produces monsters.”
