“Saturn Devouring his Son”
One of the private paintings by Fancisco Goya that we weren’t supposed to see…
This well known, yet disturbing mixed medium panel painting is by the Spanish Romantic artist, Francisco Goya, from 1819-1823. It was never formally given a title by the artist himself, as it was a private painting, but art historians refer to it as “Saturn Devouring his Son”.
In this painting, Goya depicts the Greek myth in which the God, Titan Cronus (Saturn is his Romanized name), ate each of his children after they were born in fear that they would otherwise one day overthrow him. Titan’s wife, Ops, eventually hid his sixth son, Jupiter, from him. Jupiter, as was foretold, eventually grew up and overthrew his father. This is a subject which was done by Peter Paul Rubens 200 years earlier in the similarly named piece, “Saturn Devouring a Son”.
This painting is one in a series of 14 that is known as the Black Paintings that Goya painted on the walls of his house during his years of self-isolation. He began these paintings at the ripe old age of 72. Critics believe that they reflect his fear of going insane, his self-immersed isolation, as well his growing lack of faith in humanity.
These paintings were private and were never meant to be shown to the public. In 1819, Goya purchased the house known as Quinta del Sordo (Villa of the Deaf), located just outside of Madrid’s city limits. “Saturn” decorated one of the walls in his dining room. Goya lived here until 1824 when he was exiled. In 1828, the series was catalogued by Antonio Brugada, one of Goya’s friends.
In 1873, Quinta del Sordo was purchased by Baron Émile d´Erlanger. He had The Black Painting murals transferred onto canvases, including this piece here. Unfortunately, some of the paintings were partially ruined during the process. However, the Baron decided to donate the works to the State. In 1909, the house was demolished.
The process of transferring paintings from wood or panels to a new canvas was a common practice from the 18th century onward, though today, conservators opt to instead conserve the original wood backing. The process entails adhering paper, then muslin onto the front of the painting sticking right to the paint itself. The painting would be placed face down onto a table or other surface, and the backing would be planed away slowly, until there was just a very minimal width of wood panel behind the paint, or if the back of the paint itself was reached. A prepared canvas would then have been attached to the backside of the paint. The paper and muslin would be carefully removed from the front and the transfer would be completed.
“Saturn Devouring his Son” is currently on display at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Spain.
For more on Francisco Goya, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
