Welcome to the brand new Arthive! Discover a full list of new features here.

The Carnival

Francisco Goya • Painting, 1820, 86×106 cm
Comments
0
About the artwork
Art form: Painting
Subject and objects: Genre scene, Urban landscape
Style of art: Romanticism
Technique: Oil
Materials: Canvas
Date of creation: 1820
Size: 86×106 cm
Artwork in selections: 15 selections
Tags
Audio guide

Description of the artwork «The Carnival»

This painting, like ‘Portrait of the artist Lola Jimenez’, appeared in Russia in 1945 alongside with the trophy pieces of art. It remained out of sight until late 1990s, when it finally took its place among the paintings of the XIX century, after the exhibition “Saved Twice… The artworks of European painting dated XIV-XIX centuries moved from Germany to the territory of the former Soviet Union as the result of the World War II.”

The artist repeatedly turned to the subject of a carnival. Lion Feuchtwanger once described Goya’s painting ‘Burial of the Sardine’ as “…Saturnalian feast closing the carnival, the last celebration before the Lent. The painting irradiates strenuous, hysterical exaltation, fanatical outrage before the time of repentance in sackcloth and ashes”. The same words can be applied to Goya’s ‘Carnival’ kept in Moscow. Feuchtwanger dated the ‘Burial of the Sardine’ to late XVIII century, when Goya could still hear and was seeking his new style. Modern art historians cautiously shifted the date to 1812-1819, the period of Spanish monarchy restoration. Though, the experts remain in disagreement over the date. No doubt that the Moscow Carnival was painted in the XIX century. This fact is supported dark color scheme, broad energetic brushstrokes and stunning neglect of “the new trends in modern art”, all this being typical of Goya’s late style. It was Goya of his late period who could demonstrate such courage having lost most of his friends, being old and deaf, in a completely changed Spain, though stating he was still studying.

Author: Oksana Sanzharova
Comments