Early this week, I had the pleasure of watching the BBC documentary on Goya, hosted by Jake Chapman. Throughout the ~:30 minute documentary, Chapman goes to numerous sites in Spain that feature Goya works and/or inspired his famed creations. In one such museum, Chapman observes Goya’s dark etchings, work from his later years in life after he lost his hearing and his wife had died.
I found it fascinating that Chapman mentioned the “blurred line between biography and portrait”, a phrase that perfectly captures the relationship we seek to understand in class. Chapman goes on to say that his morbid creations at this time indicate his mental state – some of the faces look like they are from an insane asylum in deep anguish.
Yes, Goya’s works at this time provide insight into his mental state, but I think they function as a signature as well. Just as signatures change over time (when we are young and first signing documents, our signatures are clean and pristine; full of life. As we age and grow comfortable [maybe too familiar] with signing things, our signature becomes a “dead” scribble) Goya’s works are a darker signature, one worn with age and the routine of life. As Jake Chapman notes in relation to Goya, “In order to be good, you have to see some bad things.”
Very interesting points about Goya’s “signature.” In a way, you’re right because “Los Caprichos” perfectly describe what Goya was going through. The dark, satirical images definitely leave a trail of thought on how he was feeling when he made them. Goya was old and handicapped, and that is able to be seen in the images. Jake Chapman describes this well with the quotes you used in your piece.