Review Of Nocturnal Nightmares Jose De Goya

Nocturnal Nightmares:

Goya’s Ghastly Dream of Spanish Society

The astonishingly brilliant artist Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes has always been revered and adored for his incredible paintings of the Spanish Royal family, but not many know that he was also a masterful engraver. In the exhibit titled Renaissance to Goya: Prints and Drawings from Spain, many of the pieces displayed were based on social commentary of the period within the country. This disdain is particularly palpable in the etching by Goya titled The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. The psychological and emotional state of Goya at the time is masterfully rendered and the presentation of the exhibit is absolutely remarkable due to its brilliant color scheme and expert presentation of the works.

Recently, an exhibit of his prints and drawings made its way to the United States from The British Museum in London to The New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Once one arrives at the beautiful old adobe museum, it is necessary to enter the main courtyard and walk directly through the large wooden doors. After that, one must enter a closed room with large glass doors where the title of the exhibit is written. In this room, the walls are painted a vibrant crimson red, which accentuates the blacks, greys, and white tones of the prints and drawings. After turning to the right after a short corridor, one must again turn to the right and find the wall labeled, “Los Caprichos.” It is upon this partition that one immediately notices the ominous yet exquisitely crafted masterpiece The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters from c.1798-99.

The print was created via etching and aquatint, done in various tones of greys, blacks, and some white, which give the piece an omi...

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Ultimately, I can truly relate with the piece The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters in that it is a social commentary regarding the oppression of free thought. Unfortunately, the subduing of empirical thought remains a problem throughout the modern world. Certain ideas are considered sacrosanct and any other contrary idea is generally rejected, such as the ongoing debate between science and religion. Again, this need for change is also evident within Goya’s The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters; the monsters must be blocked for the mind to advance. This piece was successful in relating Goya’s views towards the Spanish court’s need to socially and politically evolve as other countries did. This concept will still continue to evolve within most societies, which allows The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters to be relatable to all generations of viewers, even today.