artist

Francisco de Goya

    86 
    Click to Favorite
    Click to Share

Francisco Goya was one of the most influential Spanish painters in art history, famed for work that stylistically bridged the world of the Old Masters and the Modern era. Having spent his early years as an apprentice to a court painter in Madrid, between 1775-92 he produced dozens of large-scale Rococo-style cartoons for the royal tapestry factory. By 1786, he had become an official court painter in his own right, only to be struck completely deaf in 1792 following a mysterious illness. While recovering, he produced his first truly original works, Los Caprichos, which played with elements of fantasy, satire and the occult. Influenced by Velázquez, his royal portraits became more painterly and expressive, whilst the French occupation of his country during the Peninsula War led to his savage series of etchings known as The Disasters of War (1810-14). Increasingly reclusive, he painted his famous Black Paintings on the walls of his country house, conjuring up dark nightmarish imagery that would inform 20th century Surrealism.

Read more

Editorial (3)

See all
Disaster Art, Electricity's Impact on Art History & More

Disaster Art, Electricity's Impact on Art History & More

Each week, we scour the internet for the most significant, surprising, and outrageous art news—helping you stay informed (an…

Behind the Scenes with Bill Domonkos

Behind the Scenes with Bill Domonkos

(Read more exclusive artist interviews here.)

The Hypnotic Harvests of Giuseppe Arcimboldo

The Hypnotic Harvests of Giuseppe Arcimboldo

In this series, the curatorial team presents one work from the Meural art library we find essential. (See all installments.)…

Playlists (24)

See all
9

Pretend Play

Click to More
23

The Morgan Library & Museum: Curated Picks

Click to More

Related artists

See all
Jean-Antoine Watteau

Jean-Antoine Watteau

French, 1684–1721
François Lemoyne

François Lemoyne

French, 1688–1737
William Dobson

William Dobson

British, 1611–1646

Works (79)

Date updatedTime periodName