Go see: ‘Goya in times of war’ Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid until July 13
May 24th, 2008
Francisco Goya The Witches’ Flight via Goya in Times of War [Museo Nacional del Prado]
For the 200th anniversary of the events of May 1808 and the start of the Spanish War of Independence, the Museo del Prado presents a major exhibition of Goya’s work. Almost 200 works by the artist are currently shown.
Goya in Times of War [Museo Nacional del Prado]
The stained cape of his heart [Financial Times]
Prado Pulls Goya Painting [ArtInfo]
Goya at the Top of His Game [New York Sun]
Francisco Goya The 2nd of May, 1808 via Museo Nacional del Prado
Of note are the 2nd and 3rd of May 1808, painted in 1814, which were among the many works that Goya created in response to the Spanish War of Independence and the horrors that it brought about. The paintings were intended to be seen as a pair, one at night and the other during the day. Goya allowed his innovative use of light and active brushwork to infuse the paintings and create the sensations of movement and immediacy.
Goya’s interest in depicting scenes of human suffering and misery are most visible in the works that came out of this war time in Spain. The paintings and drawings such as those mentioned, The Caprichos and the Disasters of War series are considered among the most important and resonant of the artist’s work.
Francisco Goya The 3rd of May, 1808 via Museo Nacional del Prado
