Francisco Goya

During this time, Goya began his series of etchings known as "The Caprices" which included many scenes of social and moral satire that showed a fertile imagination that produced often fantastic images seen in etchings such as "What Will He Die Of" and "The Dream of Reason Produces Monsters" . In 1795, upon the death of Francisco Bayeu (his brother -in-law) , Goya became the director of the painting division at the Royal Academy, and in 1799, received the title of First Court Painter. During this period he completed many famous works, perhaps the most notable being "The Naked Maja" (1796) , a beautiful and famous nude that gave rise to a rumor it was modeled by the wife of the Duke of Alba, and the "clothed" version of the same pose was executed to show the Duke.

During the Franco - Spanish war that lasted from 1808- 1812, Goya executed many of his most powerful works. His series of etchings "The Disasters of War " begun in 1808 depict the horrors and atrocities of war with a ferocity almost with out equal before or since., and his canvas "The Third of May 1808 in Madrid: The Shootings by The Musketry in the Mountain of Principe Pio" (1814) documents a dark, lantern lit scene of a French riflemen gunning down their prey in a nightmarish and unforgettable scene of the ugliness of war.

On August 10 , 1812, Goya was made court painter when King Ferdinand was crowned as monarch , and made several portraits although he was living a life of comparative solitude and falling seriously ill in 1819. That year, he bought the Qunita del Sordo , where he executed what are called "The Black Paintings" , a series of fourteen images of darkness and evil which he hung , primarily for his own delight on his walls. The often nightmarish images include a famous image of Saturn eating his child as well as a witch's sabbath.

In 1824, Goya left Spain for France in hopes of regaining his health , taking up his brush in Bordeaux for his joyous and beautiful " Milkmaid of Bordeaux" as well as "Portrait of Don Juan Bautista de Muguiro" , hi last work before his death in 1828.

On the web do not miss Mark Harden's display of the "Black Paitings" as well an account of how the 72 year -old artist came to paint some

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