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The Forge (Goya)
''The Forge'' ( es, La fragua) is a painting by Francisco Goya (1746–1828), today housed in the Frick Collection in New York City. The large oil on canvas represents three blacksmiths toiling over an anvil, and has been described by the art historian Fred Licht as "undoubtedly the most complete statement of Goya's late style."Licht, 269 Description and meaning Devoid of narrative, the painting is an almost photographic capture of a single moment. Set in an ambiguous space, it forms a study in grays, blues and black, punctuated by the blazing red of heated metal. The composition is balanced by the complementary gestures of the figures.Licht, 269 ''The Forge'' emphasises the muscularity of the men, who are rendered as classically heroic with thick, strong arms and heavy masculine backs. Yet their faces indicate a coarseness of temperament—a device likely used to make them more identifiable to the common man. The figures are likely intended to represent the working class of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francisco Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and engravings reflected contemporary historical upheavals and influenced important 19th- and 20th-century painters. Goya is often referred to as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Goya was born to a middle-class family in 1746, in Fuendetodos in Aragon. He studied painting from age 14 under José Luzán y Martinez and moved to Madrid to study with Anton Raphael Mengs. He married Josefa Bayeu in 1773. Their life was characterised by a series of pregnancies and miscarriages, and only one child, a son, survived into adulthood. Goya became a court painter to the Spanish Crown in 1786 and this early portion of his career is marked by portraits of the Spanish aristocracy and royalty, and Rococo-style tapestry cartoons desig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
