Francisco Goya, The Great Hispanic Heritage
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BaCK at eL piLar
A new set of frescoes needed painting at El Pilar. The new
cathedralhadthreedomesandtheiradjacentwalls,allbare
andreadyfordecorating.YetGoyahadnotbeensummoned
to work on the dome paintings alone. The Bayeu brothers,
60
“The Enlightened Ones”
61
Francisco and Ramon, who had been working for years on
the construction project, were also there. Soon Goya’s new
ego caused him to clash with the two brothers. Goya was
reportedas“beinghaughty,proudandintractableinhisdeal-
ingswith[Francisco]Bayeu,whowas,afterall,thedirector
oftheproject.”50 ThetwoFranciscosquarreled.Perhapsfeel-
ingthatGoya’snewartisticskillswereathreattohim,Bayeu
delayed acceptance of Goya’s sketches to the cathedral’s
buildingcommittee.Disgustedandangry,Goyapreparedto
quittheproject.Thenhereceivedaletterthatwouldchange
everything.ItwasfromafriaratthemonasteryofAulaDei,
whomGoyahadbefriendedwhenheworkedonthatearlier
project. Brother Salcedo’s note was a gentle rebuke of the
volatileGoya.Headmonishedthetemperamentalartistthat
“thereisinmannomorenoble,Christianandreligiousact
than to humble oneself to another when reason and God’s
law ask it.”51 The friar reminded Goya that Bayeu had the
buildingcommittee’searandrespectandthatGoyawasina
fighthecouldnotwin.ToGoya’scredit,theletterchanged
his attitude. He remained on the project, submitted new
sketchesasBayeuhadrequested,andbyMay1781,finished
theworkhehadbeenpreparedtoabandon.
His ceiling fresco, Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, was clearly
superior to those the Bayeu brothers had been working on.
Goya’s patience was at an end, however, and he demanded
paymentfromthecommitteefortheworkhehadcompleted.
The artist was paid, but the committee stripped him of his
additionalprojectsonAulaDei,handingthemofftotheBayeu
brothers.Thecommitteethenaddedafreshinsultbyawarding
thebrothersandeventheirsister,Goya’swife,withsilvermed-
als.GoyasoonleftSaragossaindisgust.Hewouldlaterpenhis
feelings,claiming,“OnrememberingSaragossaandpaintingI
burnalive.”52
Once again, Goya chose Madrid as his destination for
newopportunities.CarlosIIIannouncedacontestinwhich
sevenartistswouldbechosentodecoratetheChurchofSan
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FRANCISCO GOyA
FranciscoelGrande.Goyavowednotonlytocompetebutto
winthecommissionoverallhiscompetitors.Ifthishappened,
he speculated, the next natural step was to be appointed as
PaintertotheKing.BythefollowingSeptember,hissketch
forthecompetitionwasselected.Goyawouldbeoneofthe
paintersfortheSanFranciscochurch.
ByAugust1781,Goyawasatworkonhisfirstsketchforthe
church,the Preaching of San Bernardino.Heshortlypresented
it to the state official who was supervising the project, José
Moñino,countofFloridablanca,whomCarlosIIIhadchosen
ashisprimeministerin1776.Theking,infact,turnedincreas-
ingly“tomoremoderatebuthardlylessenlightenedmenfor
counsel,”53 including Floridablanca, Pedro de Campomanes,
andGasparMelchordeJovellanos.
FrieNDs iN HiGH pLaCes
FloridablancaandhisfriendPedroRodriguezdeCampomanes
would both come to play significant roles in Francisco
Goya’slife.CampomaneswasanimportantleaderofSpain’s
Enlightenment.Hewasaforward-thinkinglawyer,anecono-
mist,andmostimportantly,anadvisortotheking.Hewasthe
leaderofthe ilustrados,whichmeans“theenlightenedones.”
His close associate was Jovellanos, who was one of the most
liberal officials in the king’s court. He was well respected as
aneconomist,aswellasapoetandreformer,earninghimthe
titleof“themosteminentSpaniardofhisage.”54 Thesemen
were the new movers and shakers within the Spanish court.
Theypromotedtheexpansionofdomesticbusinessandindus-
try and helped to establish Spain’s national bank, the Banco
NacionaldeSanCarlos.
The prime minister approved the work, and Goya com-
pletedthepaintingthefollowingyear.Itwasinstalledinthe
churchonJanuary11,1783.Almostayearpassedbeforethe
kingfinallymadeavisittothechurch,buthewaspleasedwith
whathesawandcongratulatedGoyapersonally.Althoughthe
project and the royal response took years, it was a triumph
“The Enlightened Ones”
63
Goya’s 1783 portrait of Count Floridablanca is considered his
first important portrait commission. Goya was very disappointed
that the count, a high-ranking royal official, was unimpressed
by the finished piece. The artist has included himself in the
painting, something he often did, holding up a canvas for the
count’s approval.
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FRANCISCO GOyA
forGoya,whosowantedtoreceivetheapprovaloftheroyal
court.GoyaalsoachievedanotherimportantcoupinJanuary
of1783.Thatmonth,PrimeMinisterFloridablancacommis-
sionedhimtopainttheSpanishofficial’sportrait.
Goyawasecstatic.InalettertohisoldfriendZapater,he
wrote,“AlthoughCountFloridablancahasadvisedmetosay
nothing,mywifeknows,andIalsowantyoualonetoknow,
thatIamtopainthisportrait,whichcanbeofgreatadvantage
tome.”55Goyapouredhimselfintothecommission.Atfirst,
theprojectwentwell.Floridablancaposedfortheartist,andin
anotherlettertoZapater,Goyaexcitedlytoldhisfriend:“On
thisdayIhaveputintheheadoftheportrait...inhispres-
enceandhavesucceededingettingagoodlikenessandheis
verycontent.”56
a DisappOiNtiNG pOrtrait
Goya tried to do everything he could to satisfy the prime
minister. The royal official was not the most handsome of
men, yet Goya did not want to smooth over the realities of
thecount’sappearance.Instead,heemphasizedthegrandeur
ofFloridablanca’stitleandimportance.Hepaintedhimina
brilliantlyred,gold-trimmedsatinsuit,agoldmedalpromi-
nently on display at his chest. At Floridablanca’s left and in
thebackgroundisananxiousroyalofficial,peninhand,asif
waitingforofficialwordsfromtheprimeministerthatmust
be committed to parchment. Goya even included himself
in the portrait, at Floridablanca’s right, holding up a canvas
for his subject’s approval. Everywhere, across the portrait,
Goya included books, official documents, charts, and maps
,
all denoting Floridablanca’s interests and responsibilities. In
thebackdrop,theartistplacedaportraitoftheking.Perhaps
oddly, Goya illuminates his painting so that only the prime
minister is well lit, with every other element presented in
muted shadows. With seemingly every fold of his clothing
gilded,Floridablancaalmostshimmers,hisblueeyessparkling
withequalbrilliance.Itisareasonablypaintedwork,grandin
“The Enlightened Ones”
65
intent,but“lackinginpassionateobjectivity.”57 Itappearsthat
Goya,whomayhavebeennervousthroughtheentireprocess
ofpaintingtheportrait,issimplyshowingthecounthistech-
nicalskills,evenasheistryingtoflatterhissubject.
In the end, the portrait of Floridablanca, which stands
as one of his first official portraits, did not bring Goya the
immediate recognition and praise he sought from this most
important of royal officials. The count posed when needed,
and Goya received much support from Floridablanca’s wife
duringtheproject,butintheend,theprimeministeralmost
seemstohavechosentooverlookGoya.WhenFloridablanca
finallyviewedthefinishedportrait,hematter-of-factlysaidto
theanxiousartist,“Goya,wewillclearthisuplater.”58 What
exactlytheprimeministermeantremainedamystery,forhe
and Goya never discussed the portrait again. In fact, Goya
was never paid for his work. A disappointed Goya wrote yet
anotherlettertoZapater:“Everyoneisastonishedthatnothing
shouldhavecomefromtheMinisterofState.Ifnothingcomes
fromthatdirection,thereisnothingmoretohopefor;andthe
disappointmentissomuchthegreaterwhenonehashadsuch
greathopes.”59
NeW DOOrs OpeNiNG
Despite the cool response by the prime minister to his por-
trait, doors soon were opening for Goya. It appears that
FloridablancaintroducedGoyatotheking’syoungestbrother,
theInfanteDonLuisdeBourbon,whowouldbecomeanew
client for Goya. In a way, Don Luis was a secondary figure
in the Spanish court. His life story is a mixed one. He was
appointedacardinalintheCatholicChurchatage10,onlyto
surrenderthoseresponsibilitiesasanadultbecausehecould
not bear remaining celibate. He finally married at age 35, in
1776,choosing thebeautifulDonaMariaTeresadeVallabriga,
whohailedfromanoblefamilyfromAragon.(DonLuishad
beendeniedamarriagewithanyoneofimportanceintheroyal
familyline,possiblytokeephisheirsoutoflinetoinheritthe
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FRANCISCO GOyA
monarchy.)DonLuiswasalsonotallowedtobringhisbride
toliveinanyoftheroyalpalaces,sohespenthismarriedlife
livingoutsideofMadrid.
Goyawasinvitedtospendseveralweeksduringfall1783
at Don Luis’s residence at Arenas de San Pedro, situated on
the south slope of the Gredos Mountains, 50 miles (18 kilo-
meters)outsideMadrid.HeandDonLuiswenthunting,and
the Infante shared his hobbies, which included botany, with
theartist.IfFloridablancahadactedcoolandaloofwithGoya,
Don Luis was a hearty companion and supporter. Goya and
hiswifespentanenjoyabletimeinthemountains.Inanother
GOYa’s priVate LiFe
By the 1780s, Francisco Goya was finding his place in the realm
of Spanish art. He was on his way to becoming the famous art-
ist of his destiny. yet what of Goya’s own family? How do they
fit into his world at this time? Goya and his family lived “in one
of the oldest and most charming parts of the city”* at No. 1
Calle del Desengano, in the steep quarter of northeast Madrid.
It would be his home for 45 years, until 1824, when he moved
to France. He moved only once during those decades, to the
second floor of another house across the street at the corner of
Calle del Desengano and Calle Valverde.
In 1784, Goya’s son, Xavier, was born in the house at No. 1.
Of all the Goya children, Xavier was the only one to survive into
adulthood. Already, several children born to Goya and his wife
had died at birth or while still quite young. Other than Xavier,
only one other child lived long enough to be baptized. (It was
a common experience in 1700s Spain for parents to face the
pain of premature child death and miscarriage.) Josefa miscar-
ried frequently. In addition, Goya’s father and sister, Rita, died
in 1781.
* Quoted in Jeannine Baticle, Goya: Painter of Terrible Splendor
(new York: harry n. abrams, inc., 1994), 44.
“The Enlightened Ones”
67
lettertoZapater,Goyastates,“HisHighnessbehavedverygra-
ciously,Ipaintedhisportrait,hiswife’s,thelittleboy’s,andthe
little girl’s with unexpected success, [as] four other painters
didnotsucceed.”60 SosupportivewasDonLuisofGoyaand
hisworkthathegavetheartist20,000reales.HegaveGoya’s
wifeagown,“allinsilverandgold,”61 Thehouseservantstold
Goyathatthegownwasworth30,000reales.
WhenGoyaandhiswifeleftthemountainestateofDon
Luis that fall (after returning a second time), the Infanta,
Don Luis’s wife, Dona Maria Teresa, paid the artist 30,000
realesforapairofpaintings,probablythe Portrait of Maria
Teresa Vallabriga on Horsebackandthewonderfullyexecuted
Family of the Infante Don Luis, which is considered to be
one of Goya’s masterpieces. Before their October farewell,
DonLuisaskedafavoroftheAragoneseartist.Herequested
thatGoyapaintaportraitofhisfavoritearchitect,Ventura
Rodriguez. Goya agreed and produced a portrait worthy of
his talent as a portrait artist. While he had produced the
Floridablanca portrait awkwardly, Goya appears to have
surmountedhisanxieties.HisportraitsofDonLuis’sfamily
andofthearchitectRodriguezarefluid,theworkofahighly
skilledandconfidentartist.
The painting of Don Luis’s family is Goya’s first major
groupportrait.Itiscrowdedwith14men,women,andchil-
dren,includingtheartisthimself,whoistuckedinthelower
left corner, half lit and nearly unseen. Given the crowd of
subjects, the work is quite complex. The composition falls
backonearlierEuropeanexamples,suchastheEnglishschool
andWilliamHogarth,whomGoyawasfamiliarwiththrough
prints.TheSpanishartistDiegoVelázquezmayalsohavebeen
aninspirationfortheworkthroughhismostfamousofroyal
portraits, Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor). Goya’spainting
featurestheInfanta’simmediatefamily,severaldomesticser-
vants,andDonLuis’spersonalsecretaryandotherassistants.
GoyaplacesDonaMariaTeresaatthepainting’scenter,sitting
informally at a table, as a servant attends to her unadorned
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FRANCISCO GOyA
In 1784, Goya painted Family of the Infante Don Luis, a piece that marked the beginning of his celebrated career as painter to the Spanish royal family. The family seems
content and relaxed, sharing a moment presumably before bedtime, when the chil-
dren are up late and enjoying the company of the adults. Once again, Goya places
himself in his painting, almost as if studying the happy family before returning to his work on the canvas.
hair.Sheiswearingashimmery,gildeddress,whichismuted
incandlelightandpartiallyhiddenunderawhiteshawl.Atthe
painting’s far left, two female servants stand, staring straight
at the viewer, while holding a tray of accessories for Dona
“The Enlightened Ones”
69
Teresa’shair.DonLuissitsathiswife’sside,readyforagame
ofcards.Heisdressedinasimplehousecoat.Directlybehind
him,atthepainting’sleft,arehissonanddaughter.(In1800,
thedaughter,CountessChinchon,wouldsitforanotherGoya
work,whichwouldbeoneoftheartist’sbestandmostbeauti-
fulportraitpaintings.)Thereisathirdyouth,heldbyanurse-
maidstandingtoDonaTeresa’sleft.
Thepaintingisatonceanextremelyintimateone.Goya
takes his viewers into the aristocratic family’s front parlor,
it seems, shrouding everything in darkness after the fashion
of a well-painted Rembrandt. The room is filled with family
andfriends,allinterconnected,alldependentononeanother.
Yetatcenteristhelong-marriedcouple,DonLuisandMaria
Teresa, simply depicted and unassuming; he the banished
king’s brother, and she, the unacceptable marriage partner,
keptfromcourt.Goyahaspaidthemhomageevenasthecourt
holdsthematarm’slength.Itisasympatheticportrait,richin
half-lightandwarmcolors.Everyoneappearsrelaxed,ascat-
teringofcontentedsmilesdenotingcomfortandacceptance.
Allisright,andGoyaisthere,capturingitallforposterity.
a Year OF NeW sUCCesses
Less than a week after the birth of Xavier, Goya scored
another triumph. King Carlos III finally unveiled the altar