Known as “the father of modern art”, Francisco de Goya had a career that spanned over 60 years with works that included frescoes, tapestry design, etchings and paintings for the royal court. He lived and worked during a time of great political change.
Goya lived in Saragossa where he painted frescoes at various religious sites. These paintings introduced the refined nature for which he would come to be known. However, accepting a position working on tapestry cartoons for the Royal Tapestry Factory was probably the most significant event in his life. It was this relationship that set Goya on the path that would earn him the admiration of members of the monarchy, many of whom commissioned paintings of their own. He continued to develop tapestries showing scenes from everyday life of the “rich and famous” and eventually was named court painter.
Coming from a humble background, it was probably around this time that Goya began to become disillusioned with the monarchy. Even though he was well paid, his work did not always show his subjects in the most favorable way and at times hinted at the corruption of the crown. His etchings in the Los Caprichos series show a level of contempt for civilized society. During the French occupation of Spain Goya declared his loyalty to Joseph Bonaparte; a position he quickly reversed when questioned. This led to his two paintings The Second of May 1808 and The Third of May 1808. These paintings, along with the Caprichos series, showed a stage
