Goya [Hardcover]

From court portraits for the Spanish royals to horrific scenes of conflict and suffering,Francisco Jos? de Goya y Lucientes(17461828) made a mark as one of Spains most revered and controversial artists. A master of form and light, hisinfluence reverberates down the centuries, inspiring and fascinating artists from the Romantic Eug?ne Delacroix to Britartenfants terribles, the Chapman brothers.

Born in Fuendetodos, Spain, in 1746, Goya was apprenticed to the Spanish royal family in 1774, where he produced etchings and tapestry cartoons for grand palaces and royal residences across the country. He was also patronized by the aristocracy, paintingcommissioned portraits of the rich and powerfulwith his increasingly fluid and expressive style. Later, after a bout of illness, the artist moved towardsdarker etchings and drawings, introducing a nightmarish realm of witches, ghosts, and fantastical creatures.

It was, however, with his horrific depictions of conflict that Goya achieved enduring impact. Executed between 1810 and 1820,The Disasters of Warwas inspired by atrocities committed during the Spanish struggle for independence from the French and penetrated the very heart of human cruelty and sadism. The bleak tones, agitated brushstrokes, and aggressive use of Baroque-like light and dark contrasts recalled Vel?zquez and Rembrandt, but Goyas subject matter wasunprecedented in its brutality and honesty.

In this introductory book from TASCHEN Basic Art 2.0 we set out toexplore the full arc of Goyas remarkable career, from elegant court painter to deathly seer of suffering and grotesquerie. Along the way, we encounter such famed portraits asDon Manuel Osorio Manrique de Z??iga, the dazzlingNaked Maja, andThe 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid, one of the most heart-stopping images oló-