Self Portrait With Dr. Arrieta and the Medical Profession's Tenuous Status in the Public Eye.

Abstract

Works by Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes (1746–1828) bridge the gulf in many ways, from the 18th-century European masters to the early seeds of modernism. In the wake of the revolution to the north and the Napoleonic Wars during his lifetime, tumultuous political and social upheavals in Spain impacted the artist, directly. Goya's artistic opus transitioned from that of the celebrated chief court painter for King Charles IV (later shunned by his successor, Ferdinand VII) to his elderly personal works, focused on common life scenes, popular events, and depictions of “capricious subjects” (witches, ghosts, and monsters). Evidence suggests that his failing health may have played a central role; the fulcrum for this transition occurred in proximity to Goya's first known health crisis. As frequently occurs for true innovators, Goya's great genius was not fully appreciated until long after his death, which occurred in isolation and ignominy.