DOI issue:
No. 105 (December, 1901)
DOI article:Bensusan, S. L.: A note upon the paintings of Francisco José Goya
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19874#0172
Goya
and the result is La Aquadora, which belonged from politics and remained an artist, he realised
to the late Senor Castelar. Youth, sport, fashion, every detail of the life that passed before his eyes,
country grace have complete control over his His portraits of General Urrutia, and of that strong
brush while he is dealing with them, and though Admiral Mazarredo who defied Napoleon, sum up for
Goya the painter is at the back of them all, he us the people on whom Spain might have depended
subdues his own personality and brings it within so largely; his Joseph Buonaparte shows us why
proper limits. His pictures are a vivid repre- Napoleon's Spanish plans collapsed, his Charles IV.
sentation of what he has seen and felt, not an tells us how they came to be possible. If Goya
impression coloured by an unvarying mood that hated " Ferdinand the Desired," what greater
limited the range of vision. Some artists see a punishment was possible than the picture hanging
little and see it accurately, others extend their in the San Fernando Academy, where every trace
vision at the cost of its accuracy, but Goya at of the man's worthlessness stands revealed. In
some periods of his life was able to receive any short, the artist saw the period of strife as truly
impression. as he had seen the period of peace, and amid the
His moods were constantly changing. If he was clamour of rival factions he worked steadily on
happy, life showed itself in guise of rarest beauty, canvas, copper, and stone, even painted for the
or, to write more correctly,
he saw only the beautiful
side of life. I believe that
the period wherein every-
thing was couleicr de rose
was the season of his liaison
with the young and beauti-
ful Duchess of Alba. She
was the greatest lady and
he the greatest painter of
the Spanish Court. Their
affection was faced by many
difficulties, and in those
days to fight was as
pleasant as to paint. He
triumphed over the
troubles, broke away from
the Countess Benaveute,
and followed the lady of
his choice into her exile at
San Lucar. In the happy
days when he was young
and popular, with all the
money and patronage he
needed, Goya saw life as
Watteau saw it ; the light
colour groupings of certain
scenes are conveyed in a
manner that brings back a
Spain that has lain for a
century dead.
Revolution came, the
flag of the Republicfluttered
across the Pyrenees, and
flaunted above the Puerta del
Sol. Goya felt the intensity
of the strife that was around „ LA AQUAD0RA -
him. Though he held aloof (From the Collection of the late Senor Castelar)
159
and the result is La Aquadora, which belonged from politics and remained an artist, he realised
to the late Senor Castelar. Youth, sport, fashion, every detail of the life that passed before his eyes,
country grace have complete control over his His portraits of General Urrutia, and of that strong
brush while he is dealing with them, and though Admiral Mazarredo who defied Napoleon, sum up for
Goya the painter is at the back of them all, he us the people on whom Spain might have depended
subdues his own personality and brings it within so largely; his Joseph Buonaparte shows us why
proper limits. His pictures are a vivid repre- Napoleon's Spanish plans collapsed, his Charles IV.
sentation of what he has seen and felt, not an tells us how they came to be possible. If Goya
impression coloured by an unvarying mood that hated " Ferdinand the Desired," what greater
limited the range of vision. Some artists see a punishment was possible than the picture hanging
little and see it accurately, others extend their in the San Fernando Academy, where every trace
vision at the cost of its accuracy, but Goya at of the man's worthlessness stands revealed. In
some periods of his life was able to receive any short, the artist saw the period of strife as truly
impression. as he had seen the period of peace, and amid the
His moods were constantly changing. If he was clamour of rival factions he worked steadily on
happy, life showed itself in guise of rarest beauty, canvas, copper, and stone, even painted for the
or, to write more correctly,
he saw only the beautiful
side of life. I believe that
the period wherein every-
thing was couleicr de rose
was the season of his liaison
with the young and beauti-
ful Duchess of Alba. She
was the greatest lady and
he the greatest painter of
the Spanish Court. Their
affection was faced by many
difficulties, and in those
days to fight was as
pleasant as to paint. He
triumphed over the
troubles, broke away from
the Countess Benaveute,
and followed the lady of
his choice into her exile at
San Lucar. In the happy
days when he was young
and popular, with all the
money and patronage he
needed, Goya saw life as
Watteau saw it ; the light
colour groupings of certain
scenes are conveyed in a
manner that brings back a
Spain that has lain for a
century dead.
Revolution came, the
flag of the Republicfluttered
across the Pyrenees, and
flaunted above the Puerta del
Sol. Goya felt the intensity
of the strife that was around „ LA AQUAD0RA -
him. Though he held aloof (From the Collection of the late Senor Castelar)
159