Fracisco de Goya occupies a unique position within Western art history, and is often cited as both an Old Master and the first truly modern artist. His art embodies Romanticism’s emphasis on imagination and emotion—characteristics reflected in his prints and paintings. At the same time, Goya was an astute observer of the world around him, and his art responded directly to the tumultuous events of his day, from the liberations of the Enlightenment, to the suppressions of the Inquisition, to the horrors of war following the Napoleonic invasion. Both for his inventiveness and political engagement, Goya had an enormous impact on later artists. His unflinching scenes from the Peninsular War presaged the works of Pablo Picasso, while his exploration of bizarre subjects, Goya laid the foundation for Surrealists like Salvador Dalí. (The Art Story)