Francisco De Goya y Lucientes was one of the greatest Spanish painters of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He worked on many royal commissions and married a daughter of a Spanish court artist. Goya became deaf in 1792. Thereafter, his art changed from the rococo style of lighthearted works to pessimistic, experimenting scenes. This shift in style can be seen from comparing two of his paintings before and after 1972.
In 1786, he worked on a painting called Summer, also known as The Threshing Floor or Harvesting, as part of his The Four Seasons series. It was oil on canvas artwork commissioned by King Charles III of Spain and the largest cartoon intended for the tapestries of the Prince of Asturia’s dining room at the El Pardo Palace. Goya wanted to depict scenes that lifted the spirit of the palace’s guest. In this work, he chose to feature the well-fed peasants resting after collecting a whole bunch of wheat. It represented a year of good harvest and people from different ages can be seen celebrating and drinking wine. We can also notice a beautiful castle from the background, which symbolizes the king’s wealth and power. This painting currently resides in Museo del Prado at Madrid, Spain.
In 1816, he finished this oil-on-panel painting called The Madhouse or Asylum as part of his Cabinet series. It is often compared to his earlier work in 1794 known as Yard with Lunatics. It brings out the claustrophobic and lonely nature of being imprisoned. The insane men’s only source of light was the barred window and in the darkness, we can see nude men and some clothed in ragged strips making irrational gestures by mimicking such movements as that of battles and prayers. This exhibited the petty behaviors and superstitions of ordinary men at that time. It could be interpreted as a criticism of the previous practice of psychiatric institutions or a mockery of powerful figures within the church and the army. This painting currently resides in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando at Madrid.
These two paintings clearly showed the contrast of moods from the bright and vibrant colors used in The Threshing Floor to the dull and sad hues of The Madhouse. The change in attitude of his subjects can also be observed. The peasants were clearly happier, and lighter characters by Goya. The second artwork not only featured insanity and perversion but the fact that his subjects were also imprisoned emphasizes this clear distinction between the two.
References:
- Bordin, G. & D’Amborsio, L. P. (2010). Medicine in Art. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=dVWuIa7AawIC
- National Gallery of Art. (n.d.). Tour: Francisco de Goya (Spanish, 1746 -1828). Retrieved from http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg52/gg52-main1.html
- Sterling, C., Ainsworth, M. W., Talbot, C., Wolff, M., Haverkamp – Begemann, E., Brown, J., & Hayes, J. (1998). Fifteenth – to Eighteenth – Century European Paintings: France, Central Europe, The Netherlands, Spain and Great Britain. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=7BU-36sK16MC
- Voorhles, J. (n.d.). Francisco de Goya (1746 - 1828) and the Spanish Enlightenment. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/goya/hd_goya.htm
