House of Francisco Goya. Dark paintings by Francisco Goya

In 1823, Goya's house, along with wall paintings, became the property of his grandson Mariano Goya, most likely in this way Goya tried to save his property from possible confiscation after the restoration of absolute monarchy and repression by Ferdinand VII. Within 50 years of its creation Dark pictures were unknown to the general public (with the exception of a few specialists, as described by Charles Iriarte). In 1874 Salvador Martinez Cubells (Spanish) Russian at the request of the French banker Frederic Emile d "Erlanger (English) Russian began the transfer of paintings from plaster to canvas. This process took several years. D'Erlanger intended to sell the paintings at the World Exhibition in Paris, but in 1881 he donated them to the Prado Museum, where they are exhibited in our time.

"Dark Pictures" and their history

In February 1819, Goya purchased an estate on the banks of the Manzanares River, not far from the Segovia Bridge. (Spanish) Russian , overlooking the meadows of San Isidro. He hoped that he could live there with Leocardia Weiss, without attracting attention and avoiding gossip, since she was married to the merchant Isidoro Weiss. Leocardia, probably from a connection with the artist, had a daughter, Rosarita. Between February and November 1819, before Goya becomes seriously ill - this is evidenced by the painting Goya is treated by Dr. Arrieta (Spanish) Russian(1820) - the artist begins to paint the walls of his house. It is well known that Dark pictures were written on top of earlier images that Goya used as a basis, such as for Duel with clubs (Spanish) Russian.

If the original paintings were similar in their carefree mood to the works of the Aragonese period, then it can be assumed that Goya's decision to paint over them was influenced by bouts of illness, perhaps along with the turbulent events of the Liberal Triennium. bosal (Spanish) Russian I am inclined to believe that the paintings originally painted are by Goya, and he used his materials a second time; however Glendinning (Spanish) Russian suggests that the paintings "already adorned the walls of Quinta del Sordo when the estate was acquired". In any case, Goya could work on paintings in his villa starting in 1820. Completion of the work cannot be dated after 1823, as at this time Goya moves to Bordeaux and leaves the estate to his grandson Mariano, possibly fearing reprisals from the authorities after the fall of Riego. In 1830, Mariano de Goya transferred his property to his father, Javier de Goya.

There was a theory that attributed the creation Of gloomy pictures Javier de Goya (son of the artist); however, Bosal and Glendinning, the largest researchers of Goya's work, rejected this theory. It is hard to imagine that such an unusual fact would not be known to contemporaries. The drawing technique, the quality of the stroke, the grotesque depiction of people, the obsessive themes that are also present in previous and subsequent works, make the attribution of authorship to Javier de Goya unreasonable.

Antonio Brugada pointed to the presence of seven paintings on the first floor and eight on the second, but subsequently only fourteen got into the Prado Museum. Charles Iriarte, who later visited the farm, also describes the paintings that are known today and indicates that a large piece was torn from the wall. Many art historians believe, based on the similarity of style and subject matter, that the fifteenth painting is Heads in the landscape(New York, Stanley Moss Collection).

Another unresolved issue is the original location of the painting. Two old men eating soup (Spanish) Russian, about which it is not known whether it hung on the first or second floor. Without this detail, the original placement of the paintings in Quinto del Sordo was as follows:

• First floor: It was a large rectangular room. The long walls had two windows next to the short walls. On them hung two large paintings: Festival in San Isidro (Spanish) Russian to the right as viewed from the front door, and Coven (Spanish) Russian left. On the far short wall, opposite the entrance in the center, there was a large window, to the right of it was Judith and Holofernes (Spanish) Russian, and on the left Saturn devouring his son (Spanish) Russian. hung near the door Dona Leocardia Zorilla (Spanish) Russian(against Saturn) And Two old men (Spanish) Russian or old man and monk against Judith.
• Second floor: The room had the same dimensions as on the ground floor, but on the long walls there was one window in the center, each of which surrounded one picture on the right and left. On the right side closer to the entrance was Fantastic visions or Asmodeus (Spanish) Russian And (Spanish) Russian away from the entrance. On the left side were respectively Atropos or destiny (Spanish) Russian And Duel on clubs (Spanish) Russian. On the far short side were Laughing women (Spanish) Russian right and Reading men (Spanish) Russian left. On the wall closest to the entrance on the right was "Dog", and on the left is another picture, presumably "Heads in a Landscape".

There is a widespread view among art critics that Dark pictures were created by Goya in a state of psychological and social pressure. One of the most important factors was the artist's awareness of the decline in physical strength, which he could not help but feel while living with Leocardia Weiss, a woman who was much younger than him, and also due to a serious illness in 1819, when he was dying, which was reflected in colors and subject matter.

On the other hand, Goya painted these paintings in the 1820s (which, however, there is no documentary evidence), and by this time he had already recovered from his illness. Satirical depiction of religious scenes (pilgrimages, processions, inquisition) or civil unrest (e.g. in Duel with clubs or in a supposed representation of a meeting or conspiracy in Reading men; there is also a political interpretation of the plot Saturn: the state devours its subjects) is consistent with the political instability in Spain after the military, led by Riego, demanded that the king comply with the constitution of 1812. The period 1820-1823 chronologically coincides with the completion of the work. Apparently, the themes and palette of paintings became possible in the absence of political censorship during the restoration of the absolute monarchy. On the other hand, many characters Of gloomy pictures(duelists, monks and nuns, inquisitors) represent the old order that existed before the ideals of the French Revolution.

Notes

When it comes to painting, the imagination tends to paint pastorals and stately portraits. But in fact, fine art is multifaceted. It happened that very ambiguous paintings came out from under the brush of great artists, which hardly anyone wants to hang at home. In our review of the 10 scariest paintings by famous artists.

1. The great red dragon and the monster from the sea. William Blake

William Blake is known today for his engravings and romantic poetry, but he was little appreciated during his lifetime. Blake's engravings and illustrations are classics of the Romantic style, but today consider a series of Blake's watercolor paintings that depict the great red dragon from the book of Revelation. This painting depicts a large red dragon, which is the embodiment of the devil, which stands on a seven-headed beast in the sea.

2. Study of the portrait of Innocent X by Velázquez. Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His paintings, striking in their boldness and gloominess, are sold for millions of dollars. During his lifetime, Bacon often painted his own interpretations of the portrait of Pope Innocent X. In Velázquez's original work, Pope Innocent X looks thoughtfully from the canvas, while Bacon portrayed him screaming.

3. Dante and Virgil in hell. Adolphe William Bouguereau

Dante's Inferno, with its depiction of horrific torture, has inspired artists since the publication of this work. Bouguereau is best known for his realistic depictions of classical scenes, but in this painting he depicted a circle of hell where impostors fight incessantly, stealing each other's identities through a bite.

4. Death of Marat. Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch is Norway's most famous artist. His famous painting "The Scream", which personifies melancholy, is firmly ingrained in the minds of any person who is not indifferent to art. Marat was one of the leading political leaders of the French Revolution. Since Marat suffered from a skin disease, he spent most of the day in the bathroom, where he worked on his works. It was there that Marat was killed by Charlotte Corday. The death of Marat was depicted by more than one artist, but Munch's painting is especially realistic and cruel.

5. Severed heads. Theodore Géricault

Géricault's most famous work is The Raft of the Medusa, a huge painting in a romantic style. Before creating large works, Gericault painted "warm-up" paintings, like "Severed Heads", for which he used real limbs and severed heads. The artist took similar material in morgues.

6. Temptation of St. Anthony. Matthias Grunewald

Grunewald often painted religious images in the style of the Middle Ages, although he lived during the Renaissance. Saint Anthony went through several trials of his faith while living in the wilderness. According to one legend, Saint Anthony was killed by the demons living in the cave, but later revived and destroyed them. This picture depicts Saint Anthony, who was attacked by demons.

7. Still life of masks. Emil Nolde

Emil Nolde was one of the first expressionist painters, although his fame was soon overshadowed by a number of other expressionists such as Munch. The essence of this trend is the distortion of reality in order to show a subjective point of view. This painting was made by the artist after researching the masks in the Berlin Museum.

8. Saturn devouring his son. Francisco Goya

In Roman myths, which are heavily based on Greek mythology, the father of the gods devoured his own children so that they would never dethrone him. It is this act of killing children that Goya portrayed. The painting was not intended for the public, but was painted on the wall of the artist's house, along with several other gloomy paintings, collectively known as "Black Painting".

9. Judith and Holofernes. Caravaggio

There is a story in the Old Testament about the brave widow Judith. Judea was attacked by an army led by the commander Holofernes. Judith left the city walls and went to the camp of the army besieging the city. There, with the help of her beauty, she seduced Holofernes. When the commander slept drunk at night, Judith cut off his head. This scene is quite popular with artists, but Caravaggio's version is particularly creepy.

10. Garden of earthly delights. Hieronymus Bosch

Usually Hieronymus Bosch is associated with fantastic and religious paintings. The Garden of Earthly Delights is a triptych. The three panels of the painting respectively depict the Garden of Eden and the creation of mankind, the Garden of earthly delights, and the Punishment for sins that occur in the earthly garden. Bosch's work is one of the most gruesome yet most beautiful works in the history of Western art.

October 18, 2012

Saturn devouring his children

1821-1823; 146x83 cm

Prado, Madrid

Goya spent the years before emigrating to France near Madrid on the banks of the Manzanares, in a house called the "House of the Deaf". The wall paintings of this house, portraits, several paintings for churches and the graphic series "Disparates" (in translation - absurdity, follies) are among the later creations of the master.

In the oil paintings on the walls of the “House of the Deaf”, most often they see fantastic, monstrous images generated by the morbid imagination of an old artist, not only deaf, but also beginning to go blind, for whom the whole world has turned into gloomy tragic nightmares.

However, at present, a connection has been established between the murals and the political events of those years, although the clearly expressed element of fantasy really makes the dependence of the depicted on real events difficult to perceive. The true meaning of these works is encrypted and is closely connected with popular beliefs, but the tragic grotesque in these so-called "Black Canvases" is brought to the limit...

Two old women eating soup

1821-1823; 53x85 cm
wall painting transferred to canvas
Prado, Madrid

The master's palette at this time consists mainly of black, gray, ocher and brown; only sometimes he unexpectedly intersperses white or blood-red spots into this rather gloomy color. At the end of the 19th century, "Black Canvases" would be transferred from the walls of the "House of the Deaf" to the canvas. The house itself, in which, by the way, the Goya Museum was never created, was finally destroyed in 1910. Today, in its place is the metro station, which bears the name of the artist - "Goya"...

In the famous "Saturn Devouring His Children", the cannibal god, resembling a bird of prey with bulging eyes, is depicted at the most terrifying moment, his open mouth evokes associations with the gates of hell, behind which his children perish one by one in terrible agony.. .

Draka ("Two Foreigners")

1820-1823; 123x266 cm
wall painting transferred to canvas
Prado, Madrid

Rubens addressed the same theme in 1636, but presented it in a completely different way, although using a similar composition. Rubens makes the viewer perceive Saturn somewhat detached, as if from the outside. Goya, on the other hand, makes us unwitting participants in an infernal feast - just like he invites us to join two old witches who are having a meal (“Two Old Women Eating Soup”).

Are you used to getting aesthetic pleasure and pleasure from works of art? But the world of painting can not only surprise you, but also scare you. Over the centuries, great artists have created outstanding canvases that will make viewers' hair stand on end.

You do not experience unpleasant excitement at the sight of "Scream"? Or is there another painted "horror story" that is imprinted in your memory? Artifex I picked up for you 10 paintings that you definitely shouldn’t look at before going to bed.

10. Caravaggio, Judith and Holofernes, 1599

The top opens with a realistic painting by an Italian master based on the Old Testament "Book of Judith". The legend of a girl who, for the sake of her people, went to the camp of the enemy, won the trust of the commander Holofernes and cut off his head at night, worried artists all over Europe for a long time. Usually she was depicted with a severed head in her hand in the middle of a camp of enemies, but Caravaggio decided to reflect the very moment of the murder. Thanks to this decision, the artist conveyed not only the atmosphere of bloodshed, but also the emotions of the killer and the victim.

9. Bouguereau, Dante and Virgil in Hell, 1850

The 19th-century French artist Adolphe William Bouguereau was very fond of Dante's poem The Divine Comedy. The artist depicted a scene from the XXXth song of the part of the poem called "Hell". On the eighth circle of the underworld, the protagonists watch as two damned souls torment the deceiver. Bouguereau worked for a long time on the color palette of the painting and studied the aesthetic boundaries of man. The painting, as conceived by the artist, was supposed to convey fear and horror from what is happening in the underworld. At the Salon of 1850, this work was disgusted by the public.

The famous triptych is still fraught with many mysteries for researchers. None of the interpretations of the work that exists today is not recognized as exhaustive. The triptych showed the fullness of the artist's imagination and skill. It is dedicated to the sin of voluptuousness, and all three parts reflect the main idea of ​​Bosch in the smallest detail. On the outer wings of the triptych, a serene picture of the universe is depicted, but when you open them, you plunge into the atmosphere of insane chaos.

7. Munch, The Death of Marat, 1907

Do not confuse this painting with the majestic work of the same name, which has become a kind of symbol of the French Revolution. Edvard Munch painted his canvas 114 years after David, and focused not on the figure of a revolutionary publicist, but on the moment of his assassination. In his inimitable manner, the author of The Scream depicts a naked Charlotte Corday a moment after she brutally stabbed Marat. Pumping strokes and an abundance of blood complement the frightening effect of the picture.

6. Blake, The Great Red Dragon and the Sea Monster, 1806-1809

Deservedly considered one of the most mysterious English artists and engravers. Since childhood, this painter was tormented by ghosts and visions, later he depicted them in his works. Blake dedicated a series of paintings to the Red Dragon from The Revelation of John the Evangelist. In this picture, the dragon personifies Satan, towering over another demon - a sea monster. The epic and detailed study of monsters not only frighten, but also cause admiration.

5. Bacon, "Study of the portrait of Innocent X Velasquez", 1953

The work is a rethinking of the "Portrait of Pope Innocent X". The classic of English expressionism painted about 40 such paintings, included in the Screaming Popes series. The artist changed the color of the dad's clothes from red to purple and painted the entire canvas in dark colors. Thanks to the master's technique, the work does not evoke associations with the original portrait of Velazquez, but it makes a frightening and depressing impression.

4. Dali, "The Face of War", 1940

This painting by the famous Spanish artist is capable of causing a panic attack in the viewer. Salvador Dali plays not only with symbols, but also with the transfer of mood. The design of a head wrapped in snakes, ever-shrinking skulls in the eye sockets of what was once a man, symbolizes an endless cycle of death. In the lower right corner, the artist "left" the imprint of his hand. And the desert and yellow tones typical of Dali's work give this picture a touch of paranoid madness.

3. Goya, "Saturn devouring his son", 1819-1823

Some engravings can scare even an adult. Among them, the interpretation of the plot from ancient Greek mythology, where the titan Kronos devours his children in fear of being overthrown by one of them, seems to be the most terrible. Goya depicted madness on the face of an already ugly monster, which further thickens the atmosphere of horror of what is happening. This work "decorated" the wall in his "House of the Deaf", but hardly anyone else would want to pass by such a picture in their house at night.

2. Curry, Gallowgate Lard, 1995

Artist Ken Curry was born in England in 1960. His gloomy canvases reflect the processes taking place in the modern world. Curry's paintings affect the viewer's psyche, create a sense of hopelessness and fear in him, but at the same time push him to think. The eerie self-portrait of the artist is the fruit of his reflections on metaphysical issues related to the decay of modern society and human consciousness.

1. Rapp, Losing Mind to Matter, 1973

Even glancing at the painting by the Austrian artist Otto Rapp, you want to immediately look away. A decomposing human head on a bird cage, an untouched tongue inside it - such a "still life" strains not only the psyche of the audience, but also causes purely physiological discomfort. One can guess what meaning the artist put into the work, but it is quite obvious - this is a truly frightening picture! And if someone dreams of a similar plot at night, then Rapp's masterful technique should be "thanked" for the nightmare.

And “Two Old Men Eat Soup” is very similar in atmosphere and expression to Van Gogh’s “Potato Eaters”.

Very good quotes you picked up for amazing murals. I like them very much.

Writing directly on the wall is fantastic. I had such an experience, incredible sensations.

Julia Ria:
November 22, 2011 at 12:20

Compared to Van Gogh. Yes, the same gloomy colors, the same atmosphere of suffocation and impotence or something ... I like “Dog” most of all these paintings, such a strange atmosphere was created by Goya.

I don't remember, have you read this book about Feuchtwanger's Goya? It ends just at the place where the artist decided to paint the walls of his house. There should have been a second part, but ... the writer's life was cut short - so unfairly.

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November 22, 2011 at 13:47

The dog has such a plaintive look, there is so much loneliness, resentment in it, and in front of it there is a barely distinguishable shadow (but it may be the ledges of the wall), at which it looks with the question: “Why did you leave me?” ...

I don't remember if I've read Feuchtwanger's Goya, but that won't stop me from reading this book when the mood is right.

These late works by Goya are pure expressionism. He was very ahead of his time.

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November 24, 2011 at 18:07

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November 25, 2011 at 11:30

For a long time I did not accept and rejected conceptual art, various wild, repulsive performances, actions, happenings and the like. In Russia, the term "contemporary art" is accepted, in the rest of the world they don't know about it.))

As an example, the scandalous antics of the most famous Russian artist, the man-dog Oleg Kulik. I really like one of his old works "Russian Eclipse", where he is naked with a red banner in his hand.))

It took me a long time, reading relevant literature and articles about contemporary art, to start convincing myself that everything has a place in art. And nothing can be denied.

I didn’t understand better, but I still sometimes wonder what is going on in conceptual (intellectual) art. Read the statements of Oleg Kulik, they deserve it. For example, here is one of his thoughts:

“All are good, but they lie, but the artist does not lie, but he is a greedy and arrogant egoist. The layman also has all these qualities, but in the modern world it is indecent to demonstrate them. The worst thing in the world of the layman is not the atomic bomb, not poverty, but what your neighbors will say about you. The artist is not afraid of this.

Also, I really liked it:

"Art that exists for the sake of sale is no longer art."

So the rejection and rejection I get from commercial art, paintings for sale. But I have been struggling with this “righteous anger” for a long time and quite successfully.))

Julie, what is it that makes you angry?

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November 25, 2011 at 16:16

And yet I do not quite understand what you mean by commercial art? What is sold in principle or what is drawn deliberately to the taste of the public?

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November 25, 2011 at 17:37

How can I be against everything that is for sale? I myself have sold more than a dozen paintings. Plus, everything eventually ends up on the art market.

Of course, I mean what is drawn specifically for sale. That is, knowing in advance what the public will buy. For her taste. But I've been sympathetic to this for a long time. After all, people have to live from something. Why not from pictures?

Ol, the intention of the artist is important to me. Primordial. That is what makes the difference between the works. Therefore, we call one picture art, and we don’t call the other.

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November 25, 2011 at 18:13

Now I understand. Sometimes it seems to me that you are generally against the sale.

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November 26, 2011 at 12:57 pm

Of course not! I am for it. And I am very glad when artists manage to live from their art. That's great rarity.

In this matter, it is important to understand what is the goal and what is the means.))

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December 1, 2011 at 13:57

Yes, yes, if you think only about money in the first place, spirituality and meaningfulness are lost. But, the presence of earnings does not negate the existence of meaning. These things are not always clear to everyone. Especially in our country, in Russia. The master must be poor - sits in the minds of many, and if the master is rich - then this is no longer art. The same Goya received a lot of money for his portraits and was a court painter, which he was proud of. But he did not step over himself.

The phrase: “The worst thing in the world of the layman is not the atomic bomb, not poverty, but what the neighbors will say about you” is amazing! Simple but accurate. What will they say about you ... neighbors, colleagues, just passers-by. It is disgusting from all this (however, this, alas, is in me too).

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December 1, 2011 at 15:20

Of course he doesn't deny it! People get confused, that's right. And to what extent, I can not fit in my head. For example, most people think that any painting is art. Automatically. If there are all the attributes: a canvas covered with paints, a frame, then art. What else? It never ceases to shock me. Julia, why is the word art referred to any painting? Do you have a version?

This “what they will say about you” is painfully familiar to me. Since I always didn’t care, my parents ate the consequences of my indifference to the fullest.))