Francisco de Goya

Thought of as both the last of the old masters, and the first of the new moderns, the Spanish painter Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) was a court painter for the Spanish royalty, and his work chronicled important historical events. His art was known for its scenes of violence, darkness, emotion and fantasy, which later served as the inspiration for 19th and 20th century painters like Manet and Picasso.

Francisco de Goya's work is a reflection of both the classical tendencies of the past, as well as his own personal struggle to find a new way of expression. His artwork were sometimes shocking in their almost grotesque, emotional undertones. Francisco de Goya employed the use of dark colors and fluid brushstrokes, and created a unique compositional style in which important elements are outside of the picture plane while the immediate action is in the foreground.

Francisco de Goya's personal imagination, original technique, and exploration of the dream world, make him one of the most important Spanish painters, and the forerunner to Romanticism and modern aesthetics.