Francisco Goya's career
as an artist began after the late Baroque period. Goya, whose
full name is actually Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes,
was one of Spain 's most eminent artists and regarded as the
"Father of Modern Art". Painting his whole life, well into
his later years, Goya left an interesting collection of art
behind, with reflected his outlook on life as time passed.
Bright and hopeful during his youth, his art changed as he
approached middle age and then old age, ending up embittered
and disappointed in society and people in general.
Goya was born in
Zaragoza in Spain where he was apprentice in his early teens
to a small-time artist José Luzán and later to painter Francisco
Bayeu. He married Bayeu's sister. At 17 he went to Madrid
where he participated in a competition at the Royal Academy
of San Fernando but which bore no fruits and later at age
24 moved to Italy, Rome, where he made a living by selling
his art work.
Later returning to Spain,
he painted many frescoes for local cathedrals, produced designs
for the royal tapestry factory and painted portraits of the
Spanish aristocracy. He was also appointed Spanish court painter,
especially serving the King. Goya's style changed after a
serious deprived him permanently of his hearing and very late
in life, in 1824, Goya left his birth country y in voluntary
exile for Bordeaux in France , where he spent his remaining
years.
