This is Goya

This Is...

by Wendy Bird

Modern art begins with Goya. He was the first to create works of art for their own sake, and he lived in a time of incredible cultural and social dynamism when the old concepts of social hierarchy were being shaken by the new concept of equality for all.

He saw his world ripped apart by Napoleon's armies and then suffered the reactionary backlash as the old order was restored. Against this epic canvas, Goya painted his own observations of humanity, transforming his youthful images of gaily dancing peasants into his mature penetrating studies of human suffering, despair, perseverance and redemption.

Goya's art rises above the chaos of his times, and signals the real revolution of personal expression and independent spirit that would be the generative force behind the modernist movement in art.

Genres: Art, Biography

80 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2015

Reviews

[Iago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libros como este son tan necesarios que es casi un pecado darle una puntuación baja. Sin embargo, aunque ha colmado en cierta medida mis necesidades, se nota que raspa muy poco la superficie, aunque para conocer un poco de Goya está bien. Me gustó mucho más el de Frank Lloyd Wright de la misma serie.
Y como colofón se olvida de siquiera mencionar uno de los episodios más escabrosos de su azarosa vida, su exhumación y traslado de los restos a España. Menos mal que está FILMIN para ofrecernos el impresionante, y ese sí cinco estrellas, documental Oscuro y Lucientes que recomiendo a todo el mundo.

[Ly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo specyficzne ilustracje, ciekawie się przegląda. Informacje bardzo przeciętne, nic wielce innowacyjnego

[Jaymee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do appreciate this "This is" series on selected artists. I've read 6 of them, and there's a style to all of them: give an introduction about the life, inspirations, and analysis of sample works. The difference in my ratings of each depends not really on the amount I learned about the artist, but rather what feels lacking. I enjoyed Magritte's but felt I needed more, whereas for Goya's, the stories about his fascination with theater, peepshows, and even witchcraft was fascinating and informative. This, despite the seriousness of his paintings, especially those of portraits of the royal families. The only downside of this book is that Goya's works are incredibly detailed and when their described, you can squint all you want but not see the little important parts. Nevertheless, this was a great introduction to the artist. I also appreciated how haunted he was with the war, and his "Black Paintings," a series of murals in black that he painted in his own home a few years before he passed.

[Pınar Tınaztepe Kaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hep Kitap'ın "İşte Sanat" serisindeki kitaplardan biridir. Goya'yı nedense beğenemedim. Anlatımı biraz sıkıcıydı ve 74 sayfalık kitabı zor bitirdim. Goya, üstü kapalı geçiştiriverilmiş gibiydi. Sanatçı olarak sevdiğim ve hayranlık duyduğum biri değil; ama daha derinlemesine bilgi edinmek isterdim şahsen.

[Onur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Orta düzeyde bilgi edinmek istediğim Goya'ya dair bir kitap olarak okumaya başladım ancak vikipedi düzeyinde, genel geçer bir içerikle karşılaştım. Maalesef kendi adıma hayal kırıklığı oldu. YKY'nin benzer türdeki eski basım Ressam kitaplarının yerini tutan bir içerik henüz dilimizde yok sanırım.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I was introduced to Goya in high school art class, I didn't realize how groundbreaking his art is. Good overview of his life and work.

[liv]

no rating because it’s about his life, but i find the ‘i am still learning’ drawing so beautiful

[Rija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and a very enjoyable short read. Goya is such an enigmatic, versatile and gifted artist.

[Jowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

a brilliant introduction/overview of goya's life and work. i really appreciated the contextual insights about society, the political, etc, because ultimately these cannot be removed from art. however, there are some parts which were chronologically confusing- perhaps due to a certain progression of the book- but some 1803 works came before the 1800 works. a very minor inconsistency, but one which i find slightly unambitious.

goya's works are all very detailed, and of course, a small print in a book can only show you so much. many painted-over works or little details are very hard to see. of course, i recommend inspecting goya's work in person, wherein the book lists the museum which the art is located in- lest some zaragossan diplomacy or legal procedure requires this to be changed.

yet, i never realised goya's humility and strife. studying his art separates his art from him, to a certain extent- and 'aún aprendo' perhaps, touched me so much, that it requires to be spoken of right now. how beautiful- more so than works like 'the third of may', or 'judith y holofernes'; his self-reflection under the artistic patina is so wonderfully meek and emancipating- which i admit i may not have seen unless for the finale.

[Fromwordstoworlds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have come across a beautiful collection that includes biographies of famous artists of the world. As a lover of graphic books I was happy to see that these ones do not only present life facts but also incorporate original representations of very talented illustrators.
The first to begin was This is Goya.

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes is the first of the modern artists.

A few years before his death, when he painted Saturn Devouring One of His Sons, André Malraux saw in the painting the opening gate to modern art. A century later, the same painting would become the source of inspiration for Dali’s Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War), 1936.

Goya lived in a time of cultural and political dynamism, when Spain began to accept the first modern influences from France but was still facing the disapproval of the puritans and the censorship of the Inquisition.

See full review on blog:
https://fromwordstoworlds.wordpress.c...

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goya's best painting still for me is "The Third of May"