Francisco Goya: Black Paintings

Black Paintings

As French forces invaded Spain during the Peninsular War (1808-1814), the new Spanish court received him as had its predecessors. King Ferdinand VII came back to Spain but relations with Francisco Goya were not cordial. In 1814 he was living with his housekeeper Doña Leocadia and her illegitimate daughter, Rosario Weiss; the young woman studied painting with Francisco.
With the idea of isolating himself, he bought a house near Manzanares, which was known as the Quinta del Sordo (House of the Deaf Man). There Francisco Goya made the Black Paintings. The style of these Black Paintings prefigure the expressionist movement. He often painted himself into the foreground.

Francisco Goya: 1746-1828

Francisco Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) was in his lifetime the foremost painter in Spain, and his reputation has remained undimmed ever since. For most of his career he painted for the Spanish Court, providing glittering portraits and tapestry designs for the royal palaces. Yet he also painted and etched some of the most compelling images of social unrest and personal alienation ever created, leaving a lasting impression on avant-garde artists from Manet to Picasso as well as capturing the popular imagination. In this authoritative, up-to-date and beautifully illustrated survey of Francisco Goya's career, Janis Tomlinson explores the dichotomy that has led the artist to be called the last of the Old Masters and the first of the Moderns. She looks at the complete range of his output of oil paintings, frescoes, drawings and prints, placing Francisco Goya's life and work in the social and political context of the turbulent times through which he lived. In doing so she has written a book that does justice to the achievement of one of Europe's greatest artists.

References

Francisco Goya: 1746-1828 by Janis Angela Tomlinson
Phaidon Press, 1994

Francisco Goya and the Duchess of Alba

The story of the relationship between Francisco de Goya and the Duchess of Alba is shrouded in mystery and secrecy, and has captured the imaginations of authors since the middle of the 19th century. But what do we know about this love affair, which continues to fascinate us today?
Did it actually take place, or was it merely a rumor? What really happened? How is it documented? And what sort of woman was the Duchess of Alba, who, according to a romantic version of the story, nearly drove Francisco Goya out of his senses? Susann Waldmann investigates these and other events by examining various contemporary documents, letters from Francisco Goya to his friends, and numerous anecdotes, unfolding a sensational turn of events. A fascinating text accompanied by excellent reproductions of Goya's well known paintings and drawings.
Goya and the Duchess of Alba by Susann Waldmann
TeNeues Publishing, 1998

More information

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Old Masters
Francisco Goya: Old Man