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About Francisco de Goya
Francisco de Goya, sometimes called the father of modern art, was born in 1746. The son of a gilder, Goya spent some of his youth in Saragossa. There he began studying painting around the age of fourteen. At first Goya copied the works of such artists as Velázquez and Rembrandt van Rijn. Then he spent some time in Rome, Italy, to advance his skills. Later, Goya moved to Madrid.
Through the German artist Anton Raphael Mengs, Goya started to create works for Spain's royal family. Soon he was appointed official court painter to three generations of Spanish kings. He continued to rise in status and established a reputation as a portrait artist winning commissions from many in royal circles.
Works such as Doña Isabel de Porcel illustrate Goya's eye for detail. It is one of his typical portraits of the Spanish nobility. The artist skilfully captured the tiniest elements of the face and clothes. The wealthy Spanish lady in the portrait is dressed up in a kind of folk costume, then the height of fashion in Madrid. Goya painted her with soft flattering brushstrokes using the black lace of her shawl to show off her fresh pink colouring. Goya must have painted the lady in the early 1800s. The finished portrait was exhibited in Madrid in 1805.
The artist earned fame in his own lifetime. He got his fortune painting not only beautiful portraits of Spain's fashionable elite. He also excelled at another, very different kind of art — grotesque prints, mocking at the faults he saw in the world around him. In them the artist criticized the social and political problems of his era. Nothing escaped his critical eye, not even himself.
The print Neither More Nor Less shows a monkey painting an ass. In this print Goya makes fun of his own profession. The ass poses proudly, getting the light, while the monkey-artist crouches humbly in the dark. The monkey's picture flatters the ass by hiding its huge ears. But in reality, the ass looks awkward and silly. The title of the print is probably a sarcastic reference to the accuracy of most fashionable portraits.
Later though Goya fell out of favour. He even got into trouble with the Inquisition because he had once painted a nude woman. In 1792 Goya became completely deaf after suffering from an unknown malady. He started to work on non-commissioned paintings during his recovery, including portraits of women from all walks of life. His style changed somewhat as well. Goya died in France in 1828.
