List of Francisco Goya's tapestry cartoons
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Francisco Goya
's 63 large tapestry cartoons
(Spanish: cartones para tapices) painted on commission for Charles III of Spain
and later Charles IV of Spain
between 1775 and 1791 to hang in the San Lorenzo de El Escorial and El Pardo palaces. The word cartoon is derived from the Italian cartone, which describes a large sheet of paper used in preparation for a later painting or tapestry. Goya's were executed on canvas which was then woven
into wool tapestry
to a large mural scale. While many of the large finished works are today in the Prado Museum
, the original sketches were sold as works in their own right.
Mostly popularist in a rococo
style, they were completed early in his career, when he was largely unknown and actively seeking commissions. In 1774, he was asked, on behalf of the Spanish crown, by the German artist Anton Raphael Mengs
, to undertake the series. While designing tapestries was neither prestigious nor well paid, Goya used them, along with his early engravings, to bring himself to wider attention. They afforded his first contact with the Spanish monarchy that was to eventually appoint him court painter
.
By 1776, aged 29, he had completed five tapestries, by the Real Fábrica de Tapices de Santa Bárbara
, the royal tapestry manufactory. His brother-in-law Francisco Bayeu was made director of the tapestry works in 1777, which greatly advanced the ambitious artist's career prospects. However, Goya was beset by illness during the period, and his condition was used against him by the contemporary art scene, which looked jealously upon any artist seen to be rising in stature. Some of the larger cartoons, such as The Wedding, were more than 8 by 10 feet, and had proved a drain on his physical strength. Ever resourceful, Goya turned this misfortune around, claiming that his illness had allowed him the insight to produce works that were more personal and informal. However, he found the format limiting, because being inherently matte, tapestry was unable to capture complex colour shift or texture, and was unsuited to the impasto
and glazing
techniques he was by then applying to his painted works.
Dating the series has not been difficult as the Royal Tapestry Works maintained a detailed record of the dates, titles, sizes and states in which each of the cartoons arrived. Goya's letters to his friends (in particular his correspondence with the Aragonese industrialist Martín Zapater) contain additional details.
is closer to Tomlinson than to Bozal or Glendinng, but attempts to reconcile the two positions by grouping the cartoons into five sequences.
Goya had at first wanted to paint French or Dutch pastoral scenes, however Charles IV preferred "entertainments and clothing of the present time". This afforded Goya the opportunity to study closely his fellow citizens going about their daily lives, and allowed him to work outside of ecclesiastical commissions, which he often found dull and unspiring. In general the cartoons are playful and depict the leisure activities of a variety of ages and social classes. Nine are hunting scenes that were for the dining room at the Escorial
, which pleased the king's son—the future Charles IV
—who was an avid hunter. A further ten were created for the dining room at El Pardo. The prince's wife, Maria Luisa
, enjoyed the scenes of dancing and singing. The works are painted in the then-fashionable Rococo
style, and heavily influenced by Antoine Watteau
, whose work Goya came to know through his studies of Titian
.
Francisco Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Goya was a court painter to the Spanish Crown, and through his works was both a commentator on and chronicler of his era...
's 63 large tapestry cartoons
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
(Spanish: cartones para tapices) painted on commission for Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
and later Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
between 1775 and 1791 to hang in the San Lorenzo de El Escorial and El Pardo palaces. The word cartoon is derived from the Italian cartone, which describes a large sheet of paper used in preparation for a later painting or tapestry. Goya's were executed on canvas which was then woven
Woven
A woven is a cloth formed by weaving. It only stretches in the bias directions , unless the threads are elastic. Woven cloth usually frays at the edges, unless measures are taken to counter this, such as the use of pinking shears or hemming.Woven fabrics are worked on a loom and made of many...
into wool tapestry
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
to a large mural scale. While many of the large finished works are today in the Prado Museum
Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of...
, the original sketches were sold as works in their own right.
Mostly popularist in a rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
style, they were completed early in his career, when he was largely unknown and actively seeking commissions. In 1774, he was asked, on behalf of the Spanish crown, by the German artist Anton Raphael Mengs
Anton Raphael Mengs
Anton Raphael Mengs was a German painter, active in Rome, Madrid and Saxony, who became one of the precursors to Neoclassical painting.- Biography :Mengs was born in 1728 at Ústí nad Labem in Bohemia...
, to undertake the series. While designing tapestries was neither prestigious nor well paid, Goya used them, along with his early engravings, to bring himself to wider attention. They afforded his first contact with the Spanish monarchy that was to eventually appoint him court painter
Court painter
A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
.
By 1776, aged 29, he had completed five tapestries, by the Real Fábrica de Tapices de Santa Bárbara
Royal Tapestry Factory
The Royal Tapestry Factory is a building located in Madrid, Spain.The factory was founded by Philip V after Spain lost its Belgian territories, and their tapestry workshops, as a result of the Peace of Utrecht...
, the royal tapestry manufactory. His brother-in-law Francisco Bayeu was made director of the tapestry works in 1777, which greatly advanced the ambitious artist's career prospects. However, Goya was beset by illness during the period, and his condition was used against him by the contemporary art scene, which looked jealously upon any artist seen to be rising in stature. Some of the larger cartoons, such as The Wedding, were more than 8 by 10 feet, and had proved a drain on his physical strength. Ever resourceful, Goya turned this misfortune around, claiming that his illness had allowed him the insight to produce works that were more personal and informal. However, he found the format limiting, because being inherently matte, tapestry was unable to capture complex colour shift or texture, and was unsuited to the impasto
Impasto
In English, the borrowed Italian word impasto most commonly refers to a technique used in painting, where paint is laid on an area of the surface very thickly, usually thickly enough that the brush or painting-knife strokes are visible. Paint can also be mixed right on the canvas...
and glazing
Glazing
Glazing, which derives from the Middle English for 'glass', is a part of a wall or window, made of glass. Glazing also describes the work done by a professional "glazier"...
techniques he was by then applying to his painted works.
Dating the series has not been difficult as the Royal Tapestry Works maintained a detailed record of the dates, titles, sizes and states in which each of the cartoons arrived. Goya's letters to his friends (in particular his correspondence with the Aragonese industrialist Martín Zapater) contain additional details.
Groupings
The series can be divided into a number of groups based on intended location or theme. Art historians Valeriano Bozal and Nigel Glendinning arrange the series in four groups, whereas Janis Tomlinson places them in seven. The Goya catalogue of the Museo del PradoMuseo del Prado
The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of...
is closer to Tomlinson than to Bozal or Glendinng, but attempts to reconcile the two positions by grouping the cartoons into five sequences.
Goya had at first wanted to paint French or Dutch pastoral scenes, however Charles IV preferred "entertainments and clothing of the present time". This afforded Goya the opportunity to study closely his fellow citizens going about their daily lives, and allowed him to work outside of ecclesiastical commissions, which he often found dull and unspiring. In general the cartoons are playful and depict the leisure activities of a variety of ages and social classes. Nine are hunting scenes that were for the dining room at the Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
, which pleased the king's son—the future Charles IV
Charles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
—who was an avid hunter. A further ten were created for the dining room at El Pardo. The prince's wife, Maria Luisa
Maria Luisa of Parma
Maria Luisa of Parma was Queen consort of Spain from 1788 to 1808 as the wife of King Charles IV of Spain. She was the youngest daughter of Duke Philip of Parma and his wife, Louise-Élisabeth of France, the eldest daughter of King Louis XV.She was christened Luisa Maria Teresa Ana, but was known...
, enjoyed the scenes of dancing and singing. The works are painted in the then-fashionable Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
style, and heavily influenced by Antoine Watteau
Antoine Watteau
Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement...
, whose work Goya came to know through his studies of Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
.
First series (1775)
| Tapestry | | Spanish title | | Date | | Dimensions | | Museum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La caza del jabalí | 1775 | 249 × 173 cm | Palacio Real (Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... ) |
|
| Perros y útiles de caza | 1775 | 112 × 174 cm | Museo del Prado Museo del Prado The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of... (Madrid) |
|
| Caza con reclamo | 1775 | 112 × 179 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Partida de caza | 1775 | 290 × 226 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Cazador cargando su escopeta | 1775 | 289 × 90 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El cazador con sus perros | 1775 | 262 × 71 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El pescador de caña | 1775 | 290 × 226 cm | Museo del Prado |
Second series (1776–1778)
| Tapestry | | Spanish title | | Date | | Dimensions | | Museum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La merienda a orillas del Manzanares | 1776 | 271 × 295 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El baile de San Antonio de la Florida | 1776–1777 | 275 × 298 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El bebedor | 1777 | 107 × 151 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El quitasol (The Parasol The Parasol The Parasol is one of a cartoon series of oil on linen paintings made by the painter Francisco Goya. This series of paintings was specifically made in order to be transformed into tapestries that would be hung on the walls of the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid, Spain... ) |
1777 | 104 × 152 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La maja y los embozados | 1777 | 275 × 190 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La riña en la Venta Nueva | 1777 | 275 × 414 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Jugadores de naipes | 1777–1778 | 270 × 167 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La cometa | 1778 | 269 × 285 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Muchachos cogiendo fruta | 1778 | 119 × 122 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Niños inflando una vejiga | 1778 | 116 × 124 cm | Museo del Prado | |
Third series (1778–1779)
| Tapestry | | Spanish title | | Date | | Dimensions | | Museum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El ciego de la guitarra | 1778–1779 | 260 × 311 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El cacharrero | 1778–1779 | 259 × 220 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La acerolera | 1778–1779 | 259 × 100 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La feria de Madrid | 1778–1779 | 258 × 218 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El militar y la señora | 1778–1779 | 259 × 100 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Muchachos jugando a soldados | 1779 | 146 × 94 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El niño del árbol | 1779–1780 | 262 × 40 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El muchacho del pájaro | 1779–1780 | 262 × 40 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El majo de la guitarra | 1779 | 137 × 112 cm | Museo del Prado | |
Fourth series (1779–1780)
| Tapestry | | Spanish title | | Date | | Dimensions | | Museum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El columpio | 1779 | 260 × 165 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El juego de la pelota a pala | 1779 | 261 × 470 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El médico | 1779 | 95.8 × 120.2 cm | National Gallery of Scotland National Gallery of Scotland The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassical edifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens... |
|
| El balancín | 1780 | 95.8 × 120.2 cm | Museo de Bellas Artes San Pío V (Valencia) | |
| Niños del carretón | 1778 | 30 × 43 cm | Toledo Museum of Art Toledo Museum of Art The Toledo Museum of Art is an internationally known art museum located in the Old West End neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio, United States. The museum was founded by Toledo glassmaker Edward Drummond Libbey in 1901, and moved to its present location, a Greek revival building designed by Edward B.... (Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... ) |
|
| La cita | 1779–1780 | 100 × 151 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El resguardo de tabacos | 1779–1780 | 262 × 137 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Las lavanderas | 1779–1780 | 218 × 166 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Los leñadores | 1780 | 141 × 114 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La novillada | 1780 | 259 × 136 cm | Museo del Prado | |
Fifth series (1786–1787)
| Tapestry | | Spanish title | | Date | | Dimensions | | Museum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niños con mastines | 1786–1787 | 112 × 145 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Niño montando un carnero | 1786–1787 | 127.2 × 112.1 cm | Art Institute of Chicago Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either... (Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... ) |
|
| Las floreras | 1786–1787 | 277 × 192 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La nevada | 1786–1787 | 275 × 293 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El albañil herido | 1786–1787 | 268 × 110 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Los pobres en la fuente | 1786–1787 | 277 × 115 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Riña de gatos | 1786–1787 | 56 × 193 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La vendimia | 1786–1787 | 275 × 190 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La marica en un árbol | 1786–1787 | 279 × 28 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La era | 1786–1787 | 276 × 641 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Cazador junto a una fuente | 1786–1788 | 130 × 131 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Pastor tocando la dulzaina | 1786–1788 | 130 × 134 cm | Museo del Prado | |
Sixth series (1787–1788)
| Tapestry | | Spanish title | | Date | | Dimensions | | Museum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La pradera de San Isidro | 1788 | 44 × 94 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La ermita de San Isidro el día de la fiesta | 1788 | 42 × 44 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La gallina ciega (Blind man's bluff Blind Man's Bluff (Goya) Blind man's bluff is one of the Rococo oil-on-linen cartoons produced by the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya for tapestries for the Royal Palace of El Pardo... ) |
1788–1789 | 269 × 350 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Merienda campestre | 1786 | 41.3 × 25.8 cm | National Gallery of London | |
| Gato acosado | 1786 | 42 × 15.5 cm | Colección particular (Madrid) | |
Seventh series (1791–1792)
| Tapestry | | Spanish title | | Date | | Dimensions | | Museum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mujeres conversando | 1791–1792 | 59 × 145 cm | Wadsworth Atheneum Wadsworth Atheneum The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the United States, with significant holdings of French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School landscapes, modernist masterpieces and contemporary works, as well as extensive holdings in early American furniture and... (Hartford) |
|
| Las gigantillas | 1791–1792 | 137 × 104 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Los zancos | 1791–1792 | 137 × 104 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| La boda | 1791–1792 | 268 × 320 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Las mozas del cántaro | 1791–1792 | 262 × 160 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Muchachos trepando a un árbol | 1791–1792 | 141 × 111 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| El pelele | 1791–1792 | 267 × 160 cm | Museo del Prado | |
Sketches
| Tapestry | | Spanish title | | Date | | Dimensions | | Museum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niños jugando a soldados | 1775 | 39 × 28 cm | Colección Yanduri (Sevilla) | |
| El ciego de la guitarra | 1778 | |
Biblioteca Nacional Biblioteca Nacional de España The Biblioteca Nacional de España is a major public library, the largest in Spain.It is located in Madrid, on the Paseo de Recoletos.-History:... (Madrid) |
|
| Las lavanderas | 1779 | 86.5 × 59 cm | Winterthur Collection (Winterthur Winterthur Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti... ) |
|
| La primavera | 1786–1787 | 35 × 24 cm | Colección de Montellano (Madrid) | |
| La trilla | 1786–1787 | 34 × 76 cm | Museo Lázaro Galdiano (Madrid) | |
| El otoño | 1786–1787 | 34.4 × 24.3 cm | Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (Williamstown, Massachusetts Williamstown, Massachusetts Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census... ) |
|
| El invierno | 1786–1787 | 34.3 × 36.6 cm | Art Institute of Chicago Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either... (Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... ) |
|
| El albañil borracho | 1786 | 35 × 15 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Mujer y dos niños junto a una fuente | 1786–1787 | 18.5 × 3.5 cm | Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Madrid) | |
| La gallina ciega | 1788–1789 | 18.5 × 3.5 cm | Museo del Prado | |
| Mozas del cántaro | 1791 | 34 × 21 cm | Colección Paloma McCrohon (Madrid) | |
| El pelele | 1791 | 35.6 × 23.2 cm | Armand Hammer Museum of Art (Los Angeles) | |