The introductory essay in this excellent exhibition catalog observes that "Fransisco Goya (1746-1828) continually challenged himself and his contemporaries. Living in a time of revolution and radical social and political transformations, Goya witnessed drastic shifts from relative peace and prosperity to wartime chaos, famine, crime and retribution. Among the 1800 works he left for posterity many are not easy to look at, or even to understand. Little of the human condition escaped his penetrating gaze and imaginative interpretation, even the most extreme behaviours and emotional states".
This volume should be an essential purchase for enthusiasts of this great artist. The numerous essays on various aspects of Goya's life and creative output are informative and clearly written. There are additionally many well sized and excellently reproduced illustrations of his artworks - the Boston exhibition featured 170 paintings , drawings, prints, as well as a few tapestries and works on ivory. It is to be noted that many of the masterpieces located in the Prado are not featured but the good news is that a significant number of exhibits would unfamiliar to the average art lover.
The chapters examine diferent aspects of Goya's creations - their titles are "Goya Looks at Himself, Life Studues, Play and Prey, Portraits, Balancing Acts, Other Worlds, Other States, Capturing History and Solo Goya".
This volume joins the excellent books on this artist by Robert Hughes, Fred Licht as well as "Goya and the Spirit of Enlightenment" (It is to be noted that the Guardian art critic described the book as "backbreaking" while another reviewer observed it to be too heavy to hold unsupported. Fear not, for an exhibition catalog / art book the dimensions and weight seem pretty average to me!
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