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10
the second, devoted to fantastic events enacted by monsters, witches, and malevolent nocturnal
beasts from the demonic tradition of Spanish folklore.
The introductory print of the second section shows the artist asleep at his table loaded with idle
drawing instruments, before which is propped a tablet inscribed "El sueno de la razon produce
monstruos"("the sleep of reason produces monsters"). Reason, the goddess of the 18-th century
philosophers, once put to sleep, allows monsters to arise from the inner darkness of mind. Goya's
menacing cat and the rising clouds of owls and bats glowing in light and dark are lineal descendants
of the beasts of medieval art.
Instead of merely threatening human life, as in Los Caprichos, the monsters take over entirely
in Goya's final series, Los Disparates (The Follies), engraved between 1813 and 1819. The ultimate
horror of Goya's imagination seethes through the series of dark frescoes the artist painted with
fierce strokes on the walls of his own house from 1820 to 1822, depicting a universe dominated by
unreason and terror, and making cruel mock of humanity.
One of Goya's rare references to Classical mythology illustrates the most savage of Greek
legends. Saturn Devouring one of his Sons is an allegory of Time which engulfs us all. The glaring,
mindless deity holds with colossal hands the body of his helpless son, from which he has torn and is
chewing the head and the right arm - all indicated with brushstrokes of an unimagined ferocity.
Now nearing eighty, the great painter was not to live long with these creatures of his despairing
imagination. After the restoration of a reactionary monarchic government in 1823, he left for France
and died in exile.
Make sure you know how to pronounce the following words:
Francisco Goya [
]; duchess [
]; Alba [
]; Daudet
[
]; Saturn [
]; parody [
]; bayonet [
]; malevolent
[
]; nocturnal [
]; demonic [
]; caprices [
]; lineal
[
]
NOTES
Family of Charles IV - "Групповой портрет семьи короля Карла IV"
Maja Desnuda - "Маха обнаженная"
The Third of May, 1808, at Madrid: The Shooting on Principe Pio Mountain
- "Расстрел
испанских повстанцев французами в ночь на 3 мая 1808 г."
Los Caprichos (The Caprices) - "Каприччос"
Los Disparates (The Follies) - "Диспаратес"
Saturn Devouring one of his Sons - "Сатурн, пожирающий одного из своих сыновей"
TASKS
I. Read the text. Make sure you understand it. Mark the following statements true or false.
1. Goya's portraits of the royal court were influenced by Van Dyck.
2. The Family of Charles IV, painted in 1799, is an inspired parody of Velazquez's Las
Meninas.
3. In 1786 Goya made several series of etching-aquatints.
4. In 1815 after the expulsion of the French from Spain the liberal government commissioned
Goya a painting.
5. When Reason sleeps monsters arise from the inner darkness of mind.
6. The monarchy was restored in Spain in 1828.
II. How well have you read? Can you answer the following questions?
1. Was Goya a lifelong rebel against artistic and intellectual straitjackets? What artistic trend
did Goya represent?
2. What is Goya's supreme achievement in portraiture? How many figures are portrayed in this
portrait? How are the king and the queen depicted? How was this portrait characterised by Alfonce
Daudet? What did Goya want to express by this portrait?
3. What is one of the most delightful paintings of the female nude in history? Is there any other
version of this picture? How was the nude explained?