Goya's Self-Portrait in the Studio: Meaning

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) was a Spanish painter and engraver, considered the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns.

The subversive and subjective element in his art, as well as his bold handling of paint, provided a model for the work of subsequent generations of artists, notably Édouard Manet and Pablo Picasso.

It was as a portrait painter that Goya gained fame, promotion, and many accolades. He used to paint portraits in a single session, and these were the most realistic.

Surprisingly, he took more than 4 years working in almost asphyxiating conditions.

This small painting is one of the few examples in which Goya self-portraits in full body.

In it, he presents himself working on a large vertical canvas, of which we can only see it from behind, in front of a large window through which the light enters, creating an interesting visual dynamics in which the figure of the painter, looking at the spectator, boldly stands out against the light.

We see a self-portrait that took five years to be completed.

The artist is painting in a romantic style.

His black top hat of the fashion combines well with his black matador-style coat with a red lining.

In his left hand, he holds a palette, on which we can see ten colors arranged, and several brushes. His right hand holds the brush he is using at the moment.

At that time, the Spanish painter was already very used to self-portraying.

In fact, when he was not painting bullfights, crucified Christs, children playing soldiers, ladies on swings, the Holy Family, and portraits of important people such as the royal family, counts and countesses, he was busy looking at himself.

Most great artists have a variety of self-portraits that, before the era of selfies and other forms of digital instant photography, were a way of capturing the process of aging, their own maturation, and self-knowledge.