The works of Francisco Goya attract with grotesqueness, the desire for exaggeration. In his work, Francisco Goya was guided, like the artists of the Renaissance, by high humanistic ideals.

Biography of Francisco Goya

Francisco Goya (full name sounds like Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes) was born on March 30, 1746. My father kept a small workshop. The mother of the future artist was of noble origin. Francisco Goya began to study painting at the age of 13. At this time, the family moved to Zaragoza. The first teacher of the future famous artist was Jose Lusan. Goya spent seven years in his workshop.

Lusan recommended to enter the San Fernando Academy in Madrid. At the end of 1763, Goya decided to participate in the competition, he was asked to mold a copy of Silenus from plaster. The voting results were not encouraging: not a single member of the jury approved the work.

In 1766, Goya returned to Madrid and tried to enter the Academy of San Fernando. And again experienced a resounding failure. The reason is that the plots proposed for the competition entries did not inspire the young artist.

Academic drawing has never been Goya’s forte. Without enrolling in the Madrid Academy, 23-year-old Francisco went to conquer Italy. First of all, once in Rome, the artist fulfilled his dream – he climbed the dome of St. Peter’s Cathedral. He did this not in order to paint a masterpiece landscape. In the center of the dome, the frondeur and varmint Goya scrawled his initials.

First successes

In Italy, the painter received the first official recognition – he was awarded the Parma Academy Prize. The return to Zaragoza took place in 1771. Here he was waiting for a lot of orders, Goya enthusiastically set to work. It is impossible to tear your eyes away from its bright colors. In 1773 Francisco Bayeu introduced him to his sister Josefa. Goya fell in love, a passionate romance began, ending in a wedding.

In 1775 he moved to Madrid, where he worked under the direction of his in-law, Francisco Bayeu, who was the court painter. Goya’s career quickly went up. In 1786 he was officially granted the title of royal painter.

last years of life

At the age of 46, the painter suddenly fell ill. He managed to recover, but he still couldn’t restore his hearing. He learned to understand speech by lips, if necessary, he asked me to write notes. His characteristic cheerfulness was gone, it was replaced by misanthropy. Francisco painted the famous series of etchings known as the Caprichos.

Goya also had late love. In 1823 he met a married lady named Leocadia de Weiss. Soon she divorced her husband and gave birth to a daughter from the artist, who was named Rosarita.

In Spain, the government changed, Goya was afraid to fall into disgrace, so he moved to France with his new family and settled in Bordeaux.

The artist lived a long and bright life, he died on April 16, 1828 in France.