DOI Heft:
No. 105 (December, 1901)
DOI Artikel:Bensusan, S. L.: A note upon the paintings of Francisco José Goya
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19874#0169
Goya
that accepts the doctrines of anarchy, while At times, the court life he knew so intimately is
agnostics look upon him with pride as the man embodied in a portrait. His picture of the Mar-
who helped to kill the Inquisition with a graver's quesa de Pontejos,* with its curious suggestion of
needle. Whether the enthusiastic partisans of a Gainsborough, is not only the embodiment of
many cults are justified of their enthusiasms I do a personality but of a type. On one of his
not pretend to know, but the truth remains that country journeys—perhaps in the neighbourhood
Goya's work has certain qualities that appeal of " Las Romerias," the country house on the
to men of all shades of thought and tempera- Manzanares where he entertained all the great
ment who have nothing in common except an men and women of his day—the dainty grace and
intelligent interest in the phenomena of life. exquisite bearing of a water carrier attracted him,
The pictures here reproduced are a striking * In the collection of the Marquesa de Martorell. The Marquesa de
^, • ,, i • Ponteios was a sister-in-law of Count Florida lilanca the minister of
comment upon the artists versatility, upon his Charles in. and Charles iv
strange power of presenting abstractions
through the medium of pictures, and
conveying an impression so powerful that
the ordinary gifts and . graces we look for
from artists of a smaller power are never
missed. Goya, the Spanish apostle of Revo-
lution, turned deliberately from the schools
and the contemporary convention of art:
he looked straight before him, and set down
life as he saw it. Unlike many great painters,
his range of vision was unlimited and was
impersonal. Some men, whose work has
made a profound impression upon their
generation, whose paintings are better known
and more highly esteemed than Goya's, have
limitations so curious and marked that the
student knows their canvases at sight—the
thoughts that inspired the picture, the
handling that gave it birth. The names of
Jean Francois Millet, Puvis de Chavannes,
and Burne-Jones appear to me in this con-
nection as I write. They painted life not
as it is, but as they dreamed of it; vision-
aries all, they strove beautifully in their
working hours, and our gratitude is their
imperishable reward. Goya, on the other
hand, had moods in which the gift of clear
vision lighted upon him as strength came
to Samson in the vineyards of Timnah. In
one mood the charm of childhood im-
presses itself upon him ; he paints the por-
trait of his grandson, which now belongs to
the Marquis of Alcanices and is reproduced
here. Another time he finds himself in-
spired by the village festivities ; he paints
La Cucana,* and expresses not only the feat
hat attracted his attention but a little bit of
forgotten Spain as well. His genre work is full
of these reminiscences of customs, manners,
costumes ; all of which are forgotten.
1 LA CUCANA
» , , ,, ■ , . T-, I i vr . ii IIn the Collection of the Duke de Montellano I
k In the collection of the Duke de Montellano. I/"(,,B ^u J '
i>6
that accepts the doctrines of anarchy, while At times, the court life he knew so intimately is
agnostics look upon him with pride as the man embodied in a portrait. His picture of the Mar-
who helped to kill the Inquisition with a graver's quesa de Pontejos,* with its curious suggestion of
needle. Whether the enthusiastic partisans of a Gainsborough, is not only the embodiment of
many cults are justified of their enthusiasms I do a personality but of a type. On one of his
not pretend to know, but the truth remains that country journeys—perhaps in the neighbourhood
Goya's work has certain qualities that appeal of " Las Romerias," the country house on the
to men of all shades of thought and tempera- Manzanares where he entertained all the great
ment who have nothing in common except an men and women of his day—the dainty grace and
intelligent interest in the phenomena of life. exquisite bearing of a water carrier attracted him,
The pictures here reproduced are a striking * In the collection of the Marquesa de Martorell. The Marquesa de
^, • ,, i • Ponteios was a sister-in-law of Count Florida lilanca the minister of
comment upon the artists versatility, upon his Charles in. and Charles iv
strange power of presenting abstractions
through the medium of pictures, and
conveying an impression so powerful that
the ordinary gifts and . graces we look for
from artists of a smaller power are never
missed. Goya, the Spanish apostle of Revo-
lution, turned deliberately from the schools
and the contemporary convention of art:
he looked straight before him, and set down
life as he saw it. Unlike many great painters,
his range of vision was unlimited and was
impersonal. Some men, whose work has
made a profound impression upon their
generation, whose paintings are better known
and more highly esteemed than Goya's, have
limitations so curious and marked that the
student knows their canvases at sight—the
thoughts that inspired the picture, the
handling that gave it birth. The names of
Jean Francois Millet, Puvis de Chavannes,
and Burne-Jones appear to me in this con-
nection as I write. They painted life not
as it is, but as they dreamed of it; vision-
aries all, they strove beautifully in their
working hours, and our gratitude is their
imperishable reward. Goya, on the other
hand, had moods in which the gift of clear
vision lighted upon him as strength came
to Samson in the vineyards of Timnah. In
one mood the charm of childhood im-
presses itself upon him ; he paints the por-
trait of his grandson, which now belongs to
the Marquis of Alcanices and is reproduced
here. Another time he finds himself in-
spired by the village festivities ; he paints
La Cucana,* and expresses not only the feat
hat attracted his attention but a little bit of
forgotten Spain as well. His genre work is full
of these reminiscences of customs, manners,
costumes ; all of which are forgotten.
1 LA CUCANA
» , , ,, ■ , . T-, I i vr . ii IIn the Collection of the Duke de Montellano I
k In the collection of the Duke de Montellano. I/"(,,B ^u J '
i>6