Advertisements
[ad_1]
He was one of the last great European chamber painters and, at the same time, one of the great precursors of modern art. His painting spans a broad period from the last stages of Rococo to Romanticism and over the decades he has forged a legacy that has inspired generations of artists. His paintings, drawings and engravings reflect the Spain in which he lived with its superstitions, fears and heroism. Much of the work of Francisco Goya (Fuendetodos, 1746- Bordeaux, 1828) meets, starting this Sunday, at the Beyeler Foundation from Basel in the largest retrospective of the painter to date outside of Spain.
The exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Prado Museum, which has already lent a dozen pieces, brings together the most representative works of the Aragonese genius and some rarely exhibited in museums and private collections in Europe and America. “Goya was a painter of stunning portraits and an inventor of enigmatic pictorial worlds. it's very personal. It is precisely from these contradictions that the fascination it generates comes from”, says Martin Schwander, curator of the sample.
Advertisements
In fact, holding the exhibition to coincide with the 275th anniversary of his birth was not in the Beyeler Foundation's original plans (it was scheduled for May 2020) but the pandemic wanted it that way. Far from feeling this as a misstep, Schwander believes that “the exhibition has gained relevance and resonates with the times we live in”. In total, 75 paintings and a hundred engravings and drawings They are the ones who illustrate how the painter “was one of the pioneers of modern art”.
Goya, profane and sacred
The exhibition presents a chronological account of the genius's life and work. With the aim of showing the role he played in his time and conveying the originality of his painting, the visit opens with examples of “his primitive and rococo work”. However, the quote places special emphasis on his maturity and pays attention to his later works. In this sense, the curator guarantees that “perspectives on the painter” are opened through “sacred and profane works and juxtaposing depictions of Christ with scenes of witchcraft, portraits with history paintings, and still lifes with genre scenes.
It is known that Goya reflected in his work the social, political and religious life of Spain at the time. And he did so by representing scenes of bullfights and fairs, ecclesiastical institutions and prisons, asylums and Inquisition courts. In this regard, the curator highlights some small format pieces that are mostly found in private Spanish collections and, therefore, have rarely been exhibited outside our country. “In these paintings, as in his drawings and engravings, he gave free rein to his inner inspiration”argues Schwander.
This is the case with the complete series of eight paintings preserved from the Madrid collection of the Marquês de la Romana, which are on display for the first time since they could be seen at the Prado Museum. In addition to these, he adds, the four panels with genre scenes belonging to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. Of course, the Beyeler Foundation also presents the court painter that was Goya, a laborious path in which he paved the way by dodging envy, and along with the paintings commissioned by royalty, members of the aristocracy and the prosperous middle class “became found the pieces with which he achieved artistic freedom.”
Advertisements
Schwander states that “His work is full of contradictions.” Goya painted beautiful and disturbing pictures, he was “an inventor of personal and enigmatic pictorial worlds and, at the same time, one of the last great court painters in Europe”. He lived through turbulent times like the French Revolution or the War of Independence, but always “achieved the highest honors by coming to terms with these changing regimes”.
In addition to his witch scenes, in which the painter captures the superstition of Spain in his time, and The dream of reason produces monstersengraving in which he visualizes and criticizes human irrationality, the curator highlights the presence of portraits of the Duchess of Alba (1795) or the iconic The maja dressed (1800-1807) which are accompanied by rare canvases on display Majas on a balcony It is Maja and the matchmaker. “With its representation of seductive femininity, it anticipates one of Manet's most beautiful paintings, The counter”, he assures.
Philippe Parreno enters Quinta del Sordo
The impact of Goya's work on creators of later generations is evident. Eugene Delacroix, Picasso, Miró, the surrealists or Francis Bacon spoke of their affinity with the work, but also current figures such as Jenny Holzer or Philippe Parreno “They refer to Goya as a huge influence on their work.” In fact, the exhibition is complemented by the screening of the film in which Parreno is part of the black paints. The protagonist of the work is Quinta del Sordo, a farm that the artist bought near Manzanares and where he brought to life the dark paintings of his last years. The 14 murals “were originally painted in his residence on the outskirts of Madrid and were probably not intended to be displayed to the public”, surmises the curator.
The fragility of this set, which is part of the Museo del Prado collection, means that it is not possible to lend it to Parreno filmed them during a night at the art gallery. “In Parreno’s artistic exploration, these visionary masterpieces are filmed up close and complete with imaginary sounds. This fascinating installation illustrates Goya’s lasting influence on subsequent generations, from Picasso and Warhol to the present day,” says Schwander.
His modernity is evident in his drawings and engravings, where he shows an intimate and personal side. It is “in his later drawings that he records both the impressions of his daily life and his nightmares.” In short, the exhibition promises, in the curator's words, surprises even for those who know Goya.
