Goya

Taschen Basic Art

by Rose-Marie Hagen

An artist both of and before his time: The Old Master who ushered in the modern eraFrancisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes (1746 1828), one of Spain s most revered and controversial painters, is known for his intense, chilling, and sometimes grotesque paintings depicting the injustice of society with brutal sincerity. A court painter to the Spanish crown, he captured, through his works, a snapshot of life in Spain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Coming at the tail end of the Old Masters period, Goya, with his audacious, subversive, and highly influential works, can be considered the first painter of the modern era. His influence can be seen in the works of artists as varied as Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon.About the series: Each book in TASCHEN s Basic Art series features: a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance a concise biography approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions"

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Art History, Reference, Spain, Art and Photography

95 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Born: 1928, Switzerland

Reviews

[Gijs van Engelen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wat een fascinerend persoon was Goya. In principe "gewoon" een hele goeie hofschilder met een eigen, vaak grappige insteek. Maar af en toe glipte er ineens iets duisters doorheen, een horrorschilderij, of een schets als aanklacht tegen de Inquisitie, of oorlog, of de adel. Het wordt allemaal nog fascinerender wanneer de stoppen helemáál doorslaan, misschien door zijn traumatische oorlogservaringen, of zijn doofheid. Hoe dan ook schilderde hij op zijn eigen muren de "zwarte schilderijen", zeer verontrustende, angstige beelden. We zien een verdrinkende hond, de god Kronos die een zoon opeet, heksen, geweld, enzovoorts. Wat hij ermee bedoelde zullen we nooit weten, en des te beter. Daardoor blijven de zwarte schilderijen wat ze in essentie zijn: nachtmerries.

[Mary-jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rated it with 3 stars,because I don't quite like Goya's painting style. I started reading the book as it features the infamous "Majas", but most of the other paintings didn't have much of an appeal to me.I especially disliked the etchings. Overall, to dark and bleak for me, not my cup of tea...

[Anna P (whatIreallyRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the wake of Goya, or the Tortuous Road to Understanding - a 500+ page historical fiction novel about Goya. I wanted to see the paintings that were mentioned in the novel, as well as read a non-fiction biography to see which elements of the novel's plot were fact vs. fiction.

This book provided a nice brief overview of Goya's art and life - exactly what I was looking for. I have a number of these Taschen Basic Art editions and this one didn't disappoint. Great quality of print and solid content.

[Irma Sincera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goya susidomėjau susipažinus su jo darbais Museo del Prado ir jis buvo aukštai mano norimų perskaityti knygų sąraše Taschen leidyklos basic art serijoje. Labai spalvinga persona, kurio visi skirtingi gyvenimo etapai ir nuotaikos lygiagrečiai atsispindėjo jo darbuose. Man būtų labai įdomu sužinoti, kuris pirmas paveikslas žmonės šauna į galvą apie jį pagalvojus. Kaip įvadas, knyga tikrai puiki, aukštos kokybės fotografijos, aiškiai išskirti kūrybos etapai. Tačiau Goya gyvenime buvo gausu įvykių, tad dar tikrai galima ieškoti literatūros ir gilintis labiau. Knyga savo darbą atliko, mane užkabino ir tikrai tęsiu pažintį su Goya.

[Stefania · Rating 4 out of 5]

No me gustó particularmente el estilo de los autores, pero sigue siendo una buena introducción a la vida y obra del pintor.

[Laia Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

impecable el repaso que hace el libro de la obra del autor, con el contexto histórico y su recorrido de vida.

[Molsa Roja(s) · Rating 5 out of 5]

El llibre de Goya de la col•lecció Taschen no sols conté impressions d'alta qualitat de l'obra de Goya, sinó que narra amb força encert la relació entre vida i obra, extremament interessant pel context històric -invasió napoleònica. Molt bon llibre com a complement de la lectura Goya. A la sombra de las Luces de Todorov.

[Dean Hamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start with the cover. I know we’re told not to judge a book by it, but hear me out: this art book measures 24.77 x 1.91 x 30.48 cm. It’s big enough to enjoy in bed without feeling like it’s crushing your stomach, and the illustrations are crisp, clear, and totally live up to Taschen’s high standards. I love flipping through it and revisiting certain prints.

That said, even though the book tries to cover Goya’s long and complex creative life, it’s only 96 pages… so naturally, it can’t include everything. If you’re expecting a full collection of his graphic prints like Los Caprichos or The Disasters of War, you won’t find all of them here. The same goes for his haunting Black Paintings; some are missing. It’s a bit of a shame, but honestly, there’s only so much you can fit into such a short book when you’re dealing with an artist whose style and tone evolved so much over the years.

Still, I’m not really complaining, it does include the famous Saturn, whos terrifying open mouth is the size of a 1 cent coin. That alone is pretty amazing.

As for the text, I read it all in one sitting, and to be honest, I don’t plan on rereading it anytime soon, so maybe I’m not the best judge. Still, I didn’t really enjoy how it wrote about historical events and the shifts in Spain’s power structure throughout Goya’s life. It tries to give context, but the way it’s written feels repetitive and kind of dull. I get that he was a court painter, but the book keeps hammering that point in, while only sprinkling in little details about Goya himself. It reads more like dry historical info with occasional mentions of the artist. Hopefully, newer Taschen books have improved on that front.

Again, I’m a big Goya enjoyer, and since this book was a gift from a friend, it holds a lot of sentimental value for me. It’s really just a small glimpse into his dark and fascinating artistic journey, more of a teaser than a full deep dive. Think of it as a carrot at the beginning of the rabbit hole, rather than the whole lore book.

[Yoana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I noticed a few mistakes and the style was a bit patchy - obviously not the authors' mother tongue. The selection is brilliant though and the details of Goya's life and convictions as gleamed from his paintings and etchings, fascinating.

2015 Reading Challenge: A book based on a true story

[Isis Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grande Goya.

[Erik Champenois · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goya doesn't strike me as one of the best painters out there, but his paintings of events related to the Peninsular Wars as well as his portrayals of the dark and the insane moved me. As a result, I picked this book up at the Prado Museum in Madrid. The text is basic and didn't explain the paintings as much as I would have liked, and also didn't illuminate Goya's mental condition as much as I would have liked. Still, it's a good overview of Goya's oeuvre, from the beginning to the end, with basic biographical and artistic context.

[Kristian-Alberto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great quality. Paintings amazing. Goya is mind-blowing. Fine little overview over Goya's work. However, the text is very repetitive and slightly boring. A pity, knowing that Goya's life was so eventful. Few deep and interesting analysis. If you find yourself having to choose between two different introductions to Goya, and this is one, then if the quality of the images is equal, then buy the other book.

[7aleo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro que narra la vida de Goya detallando el contexto en el que se desarrolla, además se exponen muchas obras de su trayectoria. No profundiza en exceso pero es una buena introducción para acercarse al artista.

Siempre me falta más profundidad y contexto, no sólo histórico sino personal, en la etapa de las pinturas negras.

Lo recomendaría como primera lectura sobre el pintor.

[Florian Ecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goyas Bilder haben mich schon immer wegen ihrer Düsternis fasziniert. Interessant zu lesen wie auch die aufstrebende Person Goya mit der Zeit wohl immer düsterer wurde und seine Bilder dadurch zu einem Spiegel seiner Selbst wurden. Auch die konstante Sozialkritik an Kirche, Gesellschaft und Staat, verwoben in seinen Bildern, war sehr aufschlussreich.

[David Ramos Cordero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Repaso a la vida del artista, acompañada de ilustraciones sobre sus obras y una muy buena contextualización histórica. Para alguien como yo que conocía lo justo me ha resultado superinteresante. Me ha encantado el formato, por lo que muy seguro repetiré con autores en esta misma colección.

[Bruno Laschet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Wichtigste über den Maler Goya. Viele grosse Bilder in guter Qualität mit den passenden Beschreibungen. Ein gelungener Start für einen bevorstehenden Besuch im Prado (Madrid). Denn 80% der behandelnden Bilder hängen in diesem Museum.

[Alejandra Muñoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

breve y sintético recorrido por la obra de Francisco de Goya. Los compactos de Taschen siempre son bienvenidos

[Marcos Miguel Navarro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnifical exposure of painting and biography of this skeptic genius.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good scholarly introduction to Goya's Art.

[Sosa Coleone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pad up

[Lisa Bed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goya u so real i swear

[Ralph Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the greatest of all painters.

[Tony Foxhoven · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great starter for a great artist. Will definitely circle back for more books on Goya in the future

[Sandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic

[Megangoldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The moonlight paints you in such a way... I can't resist the urge to get a little closer and explore every captivating inch... with a playful spirit, of course, but who knows where it might lead?

[Mónica Cordero Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completo manual de arte donde se recogen las distintas etapas del artista zaragozano así como las obras más importantes.
Me ha gustado mucho las división en etapas y las explicaciones pertinentes.
Muy buen libro para historiadores del arte y amantes de la materia en general.

[Pandeireta · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐4/5

[Joshua Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible artist.

[elli · Rating 3 out of 5]

two stars cause i have it in french >:3

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rediscovering Goya after eight years; patriotic, cynical, compassionate and a majo at heart.