Francisco Goya (Great Masters)
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Individual Artists
Francisco Goya (Great Masters) Details
Francisco GoyaFrancisco Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) is one of the undisputed masters of 19th century Spanish painting. he is also often called "the first of the Moderns" because of his bold technique and his belief that the personal vision of the artist is more important than tradition. As a young man in 1775, he worked in the Royal Tapestry Factory in Sainte-Barbe in Madrid, where he studied the masterpieces of Velasquez, who influenced him greatly. After becoming court painter to King Charles III in 1786, he did that series of portraits, religious and genre paintings which brought him fame and prosperity. In 1799, overcome by a profound pessism, he isolated himself and changed his whole approach to painting. His new style was bold and close to caricature. Durin the Napoleon invasion he expressed his horror of conflict in realistic etchings on the atrocities of war. This book presents a comprehensive overview of Goya's paiting, engarving, and cartoons for tapestries with illustartions and text covering the main incidents of his life. Read more
Reviews
The books has great big full color plates, which make it worthwhile. The text, while it seems historically accurate, appears to have been edited by someone who does not speak English as a first language. Which doesn't make it bad, it's just not the most eloquent prose. Also, the pictures shown aren't typically those referenced in the text, so flipping pages is often required. Again, not a dealbreaker for the book overall, but a criticism of the editor.