The Sleep of Reason

We're covered the age of Romanticism in ART 206 this week. Of the many dramatic works we studied I chose this as my favorite because of both the powerful imagery and the mastery of the technique.

Title:	El Sueno de la razon produce monstruos (The sleep of reason brings forth monsters)
Artist & Method:	Francisco De Goya y Lucientes, etching/aquatint + pen
Location:	Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Holland

Francisco De Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) - Spanish artist whose paintings, drawings, and engravings reflected contemporary historical upheavals and influenced important 19th and 20th Century painters.

Goya was a Spanish court painter whose best work was done apart from his official duties. He is known for his scenes of violence, especially those prompted by the French invasion of Spain. The series of etchings Los desastres de la guerra ("The Disasters of War", 1810-14) records the horrors of the Napoleonic invasion.

For the bold technique of his paintings, the haunting satire of his etchings, and his belief that the artist's vision is more important than tradition, Goya is often called, "the first of the moderns." His uncompromising portrayal of his times marks the beginning of 19th-century realism.

Info and image credit - visit this site to view the complete works of Goya.

The Sleep of Reason