Goya Biography
Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes (1746 - 1828), the world famous painter and engraver of the 18th century hailed from Spain. Son of a gilder, he grew up to be one of the greatest painters of his time.
Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes popularly known as "Goya" was born in March 30, 1746, in Fuendetodos, a village in northern Spain. His father was painter and his mother descended from a family of the small nobility of
Aragón. The family later migrated to Saragossa. At the young age of 14 Goya was apprenticed to the less known -Jose Luzan, a local painter from whom he received the first lessons of painting. After spending 4 long years with Jose Luzan, Goya travelled to Italy in the year 1763 to continue
his study of art. There he made friends with Aragonese artist, Francisco Bayeu who later on become his brother-in -law.
In the year 1771 Goya returned to Saragossa from Italy where he first established himself as a painter. He was entrusted the job of painting frescoes for the local cathedral-"the vault of Coreto of the Basilica of the Pillar". These works, done in the decorative rococo tradition, established Goya's artistic reputation. Two years later in 1773 he married Josefa Bayeu, sister of the Saragossa artist Francisco Bayeu. Though the couple had many children, only one-a son, survived to adulthood. He spent a year painting murals. Goya sketched carpets for the decoration of the palaces El Prado and El Escorial. The numerous carpet cardboards, those in bright colors depict scenes from the everyday life. (continued) |
