…like a little girl.

Goya, the Spanish artist, was prolific in his works in no uncertain means. His styles were varied and each well executed. His emotion pouring out in every subtle- or quite brazen- stroke of colour. In some places his thoughts dripping out of the lines he played with. His Spanish-ness for show, loud and proud and stern and disgruntled, in so many of the themes he chose, telling the story of a nation and a man.

This is The San Isidro Meadow, a meadow I’ve actually seen and sat upon. As many people as painted here in 1788 use the park today during Madrid’s saint day festivities– San Isidro being Madrid’s city saint.

Goya was so prolific, and his paintings so striking to a Spanish audience that had not seen something like this coming from a fellow countryman, that there is literally a word for how he painted colors: goyesco.
It refers to the way he could make pastel colors shine as if the were mother-of-pearl, an interesting trick indeed. A beautiful sunset full of glimmering bits of cotton candy colors is “goyesco.”
A matte silk dress that still glints in the light, might be described as “goyesco” as it moves in a room.

Carlota Joaquina, Infanta of Spain and Queen of Portugal Oil on canvas. 1785
In this painting, a personal favourite, the fabric of her dress truly seems to glint as actual fabric would. The color isn’t flat, the color is luminous and real. The color is goyesco.

Goya’s work is so famous beyond Spanish borders, that you’ve probably seen his work without even realizing it.

Saturno, or Saturn devouring his son (in English) is such a famous work that it has been used extensively across the web. My first encounter with it was as a post on Tumblr, with no credit given. I loved it and later in my education was pleased to find it was Spanish.
Here it is used in a banner for a short story: https://www.sequestrum.org/meat-dreams

If you’re interested in viewing more of his work, here is what the Prado has in their collection: https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-works?searchObras=goya
P.S. The Prado museum website is ••incredible•• and lets you inspect works *very* closely when you click on them. Highly recommended look through 🙂