Goya : the portraits / Xavier Bray ; editorial consultant: Juliet Wilson-Bareau ; with contributions by Manuela B. Mena Marqués, Thomas Gayford and Allison Goudie.
Publisher:
National Gallery Company,
Copyright Date:
2015
Description:
270 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), portraits ; 29 cm
Published to accompany the exhibition at The National Gallery, London, October 7, 2015-January 10, 2016. Includes bibliographical references (pages 254-263) and index.
Summary:
Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) was one of the greatest portraitists of his time. The first large-scale book devoted to the topic, this handsome volume features portraits that shed light on Goya and his subjects, as well as on the politically turbulent and culturally dynamic era in which they lived. Whether portraying royalty, philosophers, military men, or friends, these works are memorable both for the insight they provide into the relationship between artist and sitter, and for their penetrating psychological depth. Xavier Bray traces Goya's career from his beginnings at the Madrid court of Charles III to his final years in Bordeaux, played out against the backdrop of war with France and the social, political, and cultural shift of the Enlightenment. More than 60 remarkable portraits, including drawings and miniatures, reveal the full range of Goya's technical and stylistic achievements, while also depicting sitters with a previously unparalleled humanity. His break with traditional, late-18th-century conventions allowed him to achieve a new modernity in portraiture that paved the way for artists such as Matisse and Picasso.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.