by Tim McNeese
videthebasicbuildingblocksforhisapproachtohischosen
profession:
Untilnowhehadbeenapainterdevelopingtheskillsofhis
hand,thesightofhiseye.Nowhefoundanideology,afaith,
thatgavehimanewandmorepurposefuldirection.InMadrid
he learned that the basic assumption of the Enlightenment
wasthatwhatwasnaturalwasright,morallyandesthetically;
thatitwasthebusinessofintellectualsandartiststoexplore
and define nature with a new precision; that the basic tool
Tapestries of Life
51
theypossessedforthisgreattaskwastheirreason.Andsohe
becameadiscipleofthisnew,secularreligion.38
Unfortunately, Goya’s embrace of the Enlightenment
wouldlaterleadhimtoquestionmuchofwhathewasready
in 1775 to take for granted. During the following genera-
tion,theEnlightenment“drovehimonhisexpeditiontothe
outermostlimitsofthehumanmind,whosedarkestregions
hemappedwithhisbrushandpencil,and,whentheAgeof
Reason collapsed into an Age of Revolution, he was driven
todespair.”39
Yetforthemoment,littleofthatfuturemattered.Goya
had an important job, and the future lay ahead of him
unknown,yetinviting.Hethrewhimselfintohisworkalmost
immediately and produced the first of his full-scale paint-
ings,whichweretobetranslatedintotapestries.Mengsand
FranciscoBayeuhaddecidedtocreatetapestriesthatdeem-
phasized the usual biblical subjects and Greek and Roman
mythologies,focusinginsteadonthemesthatpromotedthe
simplicitiesofSpanishcountrylife.ItwasnotthatMengswas
personallyabandoningneoclassicism:itwasthatKingCarlos
IIIhaddevelopedagenuinetasteforsuchthings,andMengs
and Bayeu were working for him. The Enlightenment, too,
was a motivator, since the philosophy placed much impor-
tance on nature and people living naturally, in tune with
theland.Therefore,theSpanishcountrysidewouldpresent
abroadpanoramaofsubjects,andGoyadoveintothetopic
fervently.Bylatespring1775,heproducedhisfirst“cartoon”
foratapestry.Otherssoonfollowed.Theywerelargeworks,
not great works, featuring hunters and fishermen. The pay
wasgood,eventhoughhewasnotsalariedbutinsteadpaid
by the canvases he produced. Between the years 1778 and
1780,Goyawaspaid82,000realesforhistapestrycartoons.
ThatcomparestothesalaryoftheSpanishcourtpainter,a
prestigious position, which only paid 15,000 reales a year.
52
FRANCISCO GOyA
Goya continued to paint for tapestries until 1780 when the
TapestryFactorywasclosedduetoaneconomystrainedby
warbetweenSpainandEngland.
sCeNes FrOm spaNisH LiFe
Despitethegoodpay,Goya’stapestryworkprovedtobeatwo-
edged sword. On the downside, the paintings he completed
wereameanstoanend.Theend,ofcourse,wastoproducea
full-sizetapestrytohanginthedrawingroomsofthewealthy.
AsforthepaintingsGoyaproduced,oncetheyhadbeenused
toproduceatapestry,theywerethenrolledupandplacedin
storage at the Tapestry Factory. Eventually, the majority of
Goya’scartoonsweremovedtotheRoyalPalaceandplacedin
the cellar, where they remained until they were rediscovered
in1868,40yearsafterGoya’sdeath!Today,manyofthemare
displayedinSpain’sgreatestmuseumofnationalmasters,the
Prado.TheupsideofGoya’stapestryworkisthat“itprovided
asignificantpathwayintothe[royal]Court.”40
The legacy of Goya’s tapestry paintings is a mixed one.
His earliest cartoons are not inspired. They were “so undis-
tinguished that scholars long considered them works of the
brothers Bayeu and other artists, until recent documentary
proof established his authorship.”41 His earlier works may
havesufferedbecauseGoyawasnotallowedtoselecthisown
subject matter, which was determined, instead, by Francisco
Bayeu.
In all, Goya would paint 63 tapestry cartoons from 1775
until1792.Theyfallthematicallyintosevenseriesofpaintings
or decorative suites, each designed to fit into special rooms
intheRoyalPalace,orElEscorial,theRoyalMonastery.The
sizesofthetapestrypaintingsvaryaccordingtothespacesfor
whichtheirtapestrieswereoriginallyintended.Oneofthefirst
ofhistapestriescreatedfromasubjectofhisownwasawork
titled The Picnic,deliveredtothefactoryonOctober30,1776.
Thepaintingisatonceobviouslymeanttoportrayasimple,
lighthearted scene. The setting is outdoors, but it does not
Tapestries of Life
53
In 1776, Goya completed his cartoon of The Picnic for the Royal Tapestry Factory. In this piece, Goya shows his ability to capture a single moment in time, filling the scene with vitality, life, and the pleasures of eating and sharing in the outdoors.
have the studio look that some outdoor nature paintings of
theperioddo.Acrossthelowerhalfofthecanvas,theviewer
findsagroupoffive“rowdies”layingoutonthegroundwith
54
FRANCISCO GOyA
thescatteringsofamealjustfinished—dishes,platters,bottles
ofwine,bread,andalargecheese—layingaboutaswell.The
menaregivingtheirattentionstoacolorfullydressedwoman
whoissellingorangesfromabasket.Yettheseruralpicnick-
ers are not themselves country hicks. They are well-dressed
majos, a class of urbanites found throughout Madrid. Their
class is important to Goya’s expectations for the painting. A
majo,asdescribedbyanEnglishvisitortoeighteenth-century
Spain,was“alowfellowwhodressessprucely,affectsthewalk
of a gentleman, looks blunt and menacing, and endeavours
afterdrywituponeveryoccasion.”42 ThesameEnglishvisitor
wrote of the orange seller, a maja, the female counterpart to
themajo:
[in]language,attitudes,walk,allhaveinthemaperfectairof
effrontery and licentiousness; but if you are not overly scru-
pulous as to the means of exciting voluptuousness, you may
findinthemthemostseductivepriestessesthateverattended
thealtarofVenus;theiralluringcharmsinflamethesensesof
thewisest,andpromiseatleastpleasureiftheydonotinspire
love.43
Goya’s majos and majas are lower-class dandies and
temptresses who make up an entire class of Spanish society.
They are freewheeling, freespirited, prone to excess, dressed
to party, and ready to enjoy one another’s company. Both
were proud people, the majas being known for their quick
speechandsaucycharm,
whooftenworkedasstreetvendors,
sellingeverythingfromorangestochestnuts.Themajoswere
oftenstrongmenwhoworkedasbutchers,blacksmiths,tan-
ners,innkeepers,and,occasionally,smugglersorpettythieves.
Perhaps, Goya’s painting is telling the viewer that, while the
majaisofferinganafter-dinnerdessertoforanges,itmaybe
“thatitisnotonlyorangesthatsheisoffering.”44
Goya would return to the subject of majos and majas in
histapestrypaintingsmorethanonce.Asforthiswork,itis
Tapestries of Life
55
rich.Thecompositionisbalancedinelementsandcolorsthat
includevibrantgolds,browns,blues,greens,andsegmentsof
interruptingreds.Theupperhalfofthecompositionismuch
less crowded with people, picnic remains, a dog, and the
undistracted folks who dwell in the painting’s background.
Softleavesofvariousgreensandyellowsfillthescanttreesthat
occupytheemptyspacesonthelandscapewhileanazuresky
sharesthehorizonwiththick,fullcloudsthatarenotoverly
baroque but natural to the eye. The scene is light and airy,
withabearingofeighteenth-centurySpanishsexuality.Allthe
detailsofthework,especiallyGoya’sworkingofthetextures,
drapings,andcolorsofthemajo’sandmaja’sclothing,show
thisworktobeawonderfulexampleofGoya’stapestriesathis
creativebest.Thetapestrywouldhanginthediningroomof
theSpanishprinceandprincessinthePradoPalace.
Ultimatelysharingthesameroyaldininghallwasanother
Goyatapestry, Fight at the New Inn.Measuringmorethan12
feet(3.6m)inlength,Goyausedthiscartoontodepictacom-
monruralscene,acountryroadsideinnwhereallhumanity
was welcome. Commanding the painting’s center is a group
ofcoachdriversandmuleteers,allfromtheirindividualcor-
nersofSpain.Theyhaveconvergedontheinn,bringingwith
them their regional stereotypes of one another—stereotypes
that erupt into a fight. A half dozen men, each wearing the
costumeofhispartofthekingdom,strugglewithoneanother.
The violence does not appear threatening or criminal but
comicalinstead.Asonepullsonthebackportionofanother’s
waistcoat,athirdparticipant,hislowerlegscoveredinwhite
anklestockingsheldupbyblueribbons,yanksontheearof
afourthcombatant.Afifthfightershoutsskyward,asasixth,
themostmenacingofthepicture,approachesthefraywitha
scragglyrootinhishand,readytowhackthefirstcombatant,
closingthecircleofmayhemandfrivolousjealousy.Another
pairwrestleacrossthegroundasdogswatchintently,barking
theircontributionstothestruggle.Thepaintingisdarkerthan
The Picnic,forthelightiscastthroughathin,orangesunset,
56
FRANCISCO GOyA
unlikethenoondaylightofthefirstpainting.Itisallfun,silli-
ness,andbourgeoisiecaricaturesthatshowsasliceofordinary
lifeonthebackroadsoutsideMadrid.Goyaisdepictinglittle
morethanalowcomedy,butthecompositionisclear,clean,
andenjoyable.
Goya’stapestriesarefilledwiththesesortsofscenes—sim-
ple,rural,natural,andpedestrian.Inone,fouryoungstersplay
together;twoinacart,whiletheothertwoplayadrumand
a trumpet. Another depicts a “seated doctor warming him-
selfbeforeanopenbrazierwithhisbooksnearhim,andtwo
studentsbehind.”45 Therearescenesoflaundresses,children
on seesaws, matadors, musicians, a boy riding a ram, finely-
dressed men, and beautiful young peasant women. There
are scenes of popular feast days, bedchambers, and revelers
alongsidetheManzanaresRiverinMadrid.Inoneofthemost
famousofthetapestrycartoons,acircleofyoungwomen,per-
hapsmajas,holdablanket,amusingthemselveswithtossinga
fullydressedmannequinofstrawintotheair.Thetapestries
formanarrayofcharacters,stereotypes,anddenizens,depict-
ingthejoyfulandthesad,therichandthepoor,theyoungand
theold.ItrepresentslifeasGoyasawitatthetime.
meetiNG tHe KiNG
EvenasGoya’sworkwithtapestriescontinuedoffandonuntil
1792,hiscareertookasignificantturnby1779whenhemet
theSpanishking,CarlosIII,aswellasthecrownprinceand
hiswife.Goyahadtheopportunitytoshowthemfourpaint-
ings, kiss their hands, and feel fortunate he was meeting the
mostimportantmembersofSpanishroyalty.Heimmediately
began to dream of quick advancement. He applied within
monthsforapositionasoneofthePainterstotheKingand
wasdisappointedwhenhefailedtogetit.Theroyaldenialthat
was delivered to Goya’s sponsor and petitioner, the duke of
Losada,admittedGoya’sobvioustalentbutalsonoted“there
notbeinganygreaturgencynoranynotabledearthofpaint-
erstoexecutetheworksofferedforroyalservice,”46itmight
Tapestries of Life
57
Goya painted Christ on the Cross as part of his application to
the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1780. The artist shrewdly
chose his subject carefully, knowing that it would be popular
with the Academy and that it would also attract the interest of
potential patrons who could further his career.
58
FRANCISCO GOyA
bejustaswellforGoyatocontinuetoworkforthetapestry
manufactory.
Thestingoftheroyalbrush-offwaslightenedthefollow-
ing year when Goya was accepted as a Fellow of the Royal
Academy of San Fernando. For that appointment, he had
painted a work he was certain would please the Academy.
TakingaFranciscoBayeustudy,whichBayeuhadcopiedfrom
Mengs,Goyapainted Christ on the Cross.Thepaintingaccom-
paniedtheartist’sapplicationtomembershipintheAcademy.
ThetimingofhisappealtotheAcademywascrucialforGoya.
On March 15, 1780, the Royal Tapestry Factory closed its
doors. Goya was suddenly an unemployed artist. He applied
totheAcademy,quickly,onMay5.
GOYa’s CHRIST ON THE CROSS
The painter, in part, chose his subject because he knew it
wouldbeapopularonewithhisAcademyaudience.Itquali-
fied as a historical painting, which was the “category most
reveredbytheAcademy.”47 Inapproachinghissubject,Goya
chose to avoid the lighter, contemporary subjects that had
filledhistapestrycartoons,aswellasthecolorpalettehehad
relied on for depicting his children, majas, innkeepers, and
streetpeople.Heusesfewcolorsinpaintingapale,thinJesus
withhandsextendedupwardandawayfromhisbody.Jesusis
notquitesuspendedonthecrossbecauseGoyaplacesChrist’s
fee
t on a wooden platform that juts out horizontally from
theblacknessthatsurroundshim.Similarly,thecrossitselfis
vague,appearingasadimT-frame.Jesusalmostappearsasif
heisrestingagainstitratherthandanglingfromit.Athinslip
ofdraperycoversJesus’loins,butthefocalpointoftheimage
ishisface.Hisheadisraisedinmutedagony,andhiseyesare
rolled upward as thorns prick his forehead, producing thin,
yetvivid,brushstrokesofblood.Large,heavynailspiercehis
handsandfeetbutthereisnobloodthere.Thereisnobruis-
ingandnopiercedtorso.Goya’scrucifixionisanunderstated
execution, yet the sharp contrast of Jesus’ white skin to the
Tapestries of Life
59
blackbackgroundcaptivatestheviewer.Goya’stechnicalskills
are clear to the viewer and must have also been clear to the
membersoftheAcademycommittee.
Acceptance to the Academy was a triumph for Goya,
making his return to Madrid a great success. Ironically, he
would not remain in the Spanish capital much longer. Just
fourdaysafterhiselectiontotheRoyalAcademy,Goyacon-
tactedhisoldfriendZapaterinSaragossaandinformedhim
hehadreceivedacommissiontopaintthedomesofthenew
cathedral,ElPilar.Withintwomonths,hewasmakingplans
toreturntoSaragossatotakeupworkinthechurchhehad
firstworkedon10yearsearlier.Byearlyfall1780,Goyaleft
Madrid,returnedtohischildhoodtownyetagain,andwasat
work.Theprojecthebeganwouldnotgowell,however.
5
“The
Enlightened
Ones”
Between his election to the Academy in spring 1780 and his
return to work in Saragossa, Goya and his wife had a child,
Xavier,“averybeautifulboy.”48 Thearrivalofhissongavethe
artist great personal joy. Professionally, he was equally satis-
fied.GoyareturnedtoSaragossawithasenseofstatusandof
artistic independence. He considered himself answerable to
almostnoone,notevenFranciscoBayeu.Hewascreatingnew
stylesofpaintingthatfithimlikeaglove,andthisnewproject
atElPilarwouldgivehim“anexcellentopportunitytoprove
hisnewindependenceofspirit.49
