Goya ground his own lead white pigment and used it in enormous quantities, both as primer and as his primary colour. Some historians believe this is what made him deaf. The illness struck in 1793, leaving him unable to hear for the remaining thirty-five years of his life. Whatever the cause (Meniere's disease is another theory), the deafness isolated him socially and transformed his art from decorative rococo tapestry cartoons into something far darker and more honest.
Key facts
- Lived
- 1746–1828, Spanish
- Movements
- Works held in
- 28 museums[1]
Biography
He was born in 1746 in Fuendetodos, a small village in Aragon. His father was a gilder. By his forties Goya had risen to court painter for the Spanish Crown, a position he held through four successive and frequently hostile regimes: Charles III, Charles IV, Joseph Bonaparte, and Ferdinand VII. Navigating that amount of political upheaval while remaining employed required considerable skill at saying one thing and painting another.
His relationship with the Duchess of Alba has never been definitively proven, but the evidence is suggestive. After the Duke's death in 1796, Goya painted the Duchess wearing two rings inscribed with the names Alba and Goya. The word solo (only) was found next to his name during a later restoration. He kept the painting for fifteen years. After whatever happened between them ended, his prints and drawings filled with images of fickle temptresses and cuckolded fools.
The Disasters of War, 82 etchings documenting Napoleon's 1808 invasion and the Peninsular War, could not be published during his lifetime. They depict execution, mutilation, famine, and rape with a directness that anticipates photojournalism by a century. They did not appear publicly until 1863, thirty-five years after his death.
Between 1819 and 1823, deaf and disillusioned, he painted fourteen works directly onto the plaster walls of his farmhouse on the outskirts of Madrid, the Quinta del Sordo. Saturn Devouring His Son, a god tearing apart a body with his teeth and bare hands, was on the dining room wall. These Black Paintings were never meant to be seen by anyone. He died in exile in Bordeaux in 1828, aged eighty-two.
Timeline
- 1746Born on 30 March in Fuendetodos, Aragon, Spain, to a middle-class family.
- 1786At 40, appointed painter to King Charles III in Madrid.
- 1793At 47, struck by a severe illness in Cadiz that left him permanently deaf.
- 1799At 53, appointed First Court Painter in Madrid and published Los Caprichos.
- 1814At 68, painted The Third of May 1808 in Madrid, commemorating the Spanish resistance to Napoleon.
- 1819At 73, retreated to the Quinta del Sordo, painting the Black Paintings directly onto his walls.
- 1828Died on 16 April aged 82 in Bordeaux, France, where he had lived in exile since 1824.
Notable Works
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Where to See Francisco Goya
16 museums worldwide.
-
79 works
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen - Robbrecht & Daem wing, Netherlands
Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
Francisco goya paintings style?
The paintings of Francisco Goya fit no category. His work was indebted only to the realism of Velazquez, the insight of Rembrandt, and, as he said, to 'nature'.How did francisco goya become deaf?
In 1792, a serious illness left Francisco Goya permanently deaf, and he became more introspective. His work increasingly featured fantasies from his imagination, blended with sardonic observations of human behaviour, and he evolved a bold and quite savage style, satirising human flaws.How did francisco goya die?
Francisco Goya died in 1828 at the age of 82.Is francisco goya a spanish artist?
Francisco Goya commemorated Spanish resistance to Napoleon’s armies during the occupation of 1808. He depicts the horrific public execution of insurgents as French soldiers fail to suppress them.Is francisco goya romanticism?
Painting is closely associated with Romanticism because it allowed for a spontaneous outpouring of emotion. Many art historians think of the study or sketch, whether painted or drawn, as the quintessential Romantic medium.Was francisco goya deaf?
In 1792, a serious illness left Francisco Goya permanently deaf, and he became more introspective. His work increasingly featured fantasies from his imagination, blended with sardonic observations of human behaviour, and he evolved a bold and quite savage style, satirising human flaws.What is francisco goya best known for?
Francisco Goya witnessed the terrible massacre of civilians by the soldiers at Puerto del Sol when the Revolution broke out in 1808. Out of this came one of the most shockingly realistic of all paintings of war.What was francisco goya known for?
The paintings of Francisco Goya fit no category. He was a lifelong rebel and libertarian fiercely opposed to tyranny of all sorts.When did francisco goya live?
Francisco Goya lived from 1746 to 1828. He lived during the Rococo period and Romanticism.Why did francisco goya paint the black paintings?
Between 1819 and 1823, deaf and disillusioned, Francisco Goya painted fourteen works directly onto the plaster walls of his farmhouse on the outskirts of Madrid, the Quinta del Sordo. These Black Paintings were never meant to be seen by anyone.Francisco goya art movement?
The paintings of Francisco Goya fit no category. He was a lifelong rebel and libertarian fiercely opposed to tyranny of all sorts; he began as a semi-Rococo designer of amusing scenes for tapestries.Was francisco goya religious?
In 1792, a serious illness left Francisco Goya permanently deaf, and he became more introspective. His work increasingly featured fantasies from his imagination, blended with sardonic observations of human behaviour; his religious frescoes also evolved.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Francisco Goya.
- [1] museum Brooklyn Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Toledo Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Lázaro Galdiano Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Hispanic Society of America Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Meadows Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum National Galleries Scotland Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Howard Simon, 500 Years of Illustration Used for: biography.
- [8] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
- [9] book Carol Strickland and John Boswell, The Annotated Mona Lisa _ba crash course in art history from prehistoric to post-modern _cCarol Strickland and John Boswell Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-31. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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