Francisco de Goya (1746 – 1828) was a talented and original Spanish artist whose questioning, irreverent attitude toward life was graphically conveyed in his works. Influenced by Velázquez and Rembrandt as well as by nature, Goya was Spain’s leading painter by the 1780s. As court painter to the Spanish royal family, he created realistic, penetrating portraits of his patrons. In 1792, Goya was ravaged by an illness that left him deaf, emotionally broken and embittered. He is well known for his "Black Paintings," deeply disturbing, nightmarish works that Goya made after he was ravaged by a serious illness in 1792. He is also highly regarded for “Los Caprichos”, a series of etchings that were scathing commentaries on human foibles and the corruption of the establishment.

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