Francisco Goya and The Parasol

'The Parasol' (c.1777) by Francisco Goya; Museo del Prado, Madrid

To be honest with you, I am not too fond of Francisco Goya, born on 30 March 1746 and died on 16 April 1828. When I think of Goya, I think immediately of his Black Paintings and a shiver literally runs down my spine. Especially seeing the famous 'Saturn devouring his son'. The painting 'The Parasol', that I have chosen for this post and which I do like, is very different and is actually an oil on linen painting. It is one of a series of paintings especially made to be transformed into tapestries for the walls of the Royal Palace in Madrid. It's not so surprising that the depiction is serene and sweet because the queen wanted to have a cheerful scene (imagine having one of the black paintings as a tapestry on the royal wall!). This gave Goya access to the Royal Court and it set off his career. Amongst his most famous paintings are the two versions of the Majas ('The Nude Maja' and 'The Clothed Maja'), 'The Third of May, 1808', and 'Charles IV of Spain and His Family'. His black paintings were of a later date, likely between 1819 and 1823.