Yeah I’ve heard few different intersting takes. I think most people agree the expression is mechanical like you said.
This is just my impression. It’s the lighting more than anything that makes me feel this way. The painting seems to be illuminating the devourer in a way that suggests he might be seeing his own act for the first time himself.
Yeah, I’ve always seen Goya’s version (if this is even Saturn at all) to be an inversion or some kind of commentary on the original theme. There are a few famous paintings of this scene from before Goya’s time.
If anything it feels to me that Saturn was in the darkness doing this act but now there is a bright and sudden light being shown on him and he is shocked or ashamed. Almost like he has possibly “snapped out” of the state he was just in and is now maybe seeing what he has done for the first time himself.
I dunno, I think that’s part of the magic of the Black Paintings. To me, what makes them truly unsettling (in the best way) is the fact that he painted them exclusively for his own desire and that we’re limited to guessing the subject matter (which, although ambiguous, was undoubtedly dark).
Part of this art is that there really are no “facts”. It was painted on the wall of his home some time before his death but wasn’t found before he died. He never gave it a name or said anything about it.
This is based on Goya’s famous painting “Saturn Devouring His Son”, if anyone was wondering.
Imo in this original painting Saturn is horrified either to be doing this at all, or to be seen doing it.
So I don’t think the poetry transfers to trump here.
I know this is shit posts but we’re also discussing high art so…
It’s hard to say for sure. I always interpreted his expression as maniacal rather than horrified.
Yeah I’ve heard few different intersting takes. I think most people agree the expression is mechanical like you said.
This is just my impression. It’s the lighting more than anything that makes me feel this way. The painting seems to be illuminating the devourer in a way that suggests he might be seeing his own act for the first time himself.
He certainly wasn’t horrified about doing it in the original myth, as far as I remember.
Yeah, I’ve always seen Goya’s version (if this is even Saturn at all) to be an inversion or some kind of commentary on the original theme. There are a few famous paintings of this scene from before Goya’s time.
If anything it feels to me that Saturn was in the darkness doing this act but now there is a bright and sudden light being shown on him and he is shocked or ashamed. Almost like he has possibly “snapped out” of the state he was just in and is now maybe seeing what he has done for the first time himself.
Edit: wrong thread.
Hey! You come back here with that irrelevant commentary!
Considering he ate FIVE of his children, I don’t think he was.
One of my favorites. I wish we knew if that’s really what he intended to depict - people just guessed.
Yeah he didn’t even actually name this painting. We really don’t know who the subjects are for sure.
4 feet tall and painted directly onto the wall of his dining room, too. My kinda guy.
I dunno, I think that’s part of the magic of the Black Paintings. To me, what makes them truly unsettling (in the best way) is the fact that he painted them exclusively for his own desire and that we’re limited to guessing the subject matter (which, although ambiguous, was undoubtedly dark).
kolpeshtheyardstick made a pretty great video essay about the work and its historical context and cultural impact. (01:04:19)
I never heard about how it was made before and that really changed how I view the work.
Thanks, I’ll listen to this on the commute home.
Insanity created some of the most definitely gothic images ever. Goya is so slept on. I’m especially partial to his etchings
The political prints about Spain and Spanish politics are particularly interesting to me
True, I just always want to know the facts about everything, no matter how insignificant, for historical posterity and my own curiosity.
Part of this art is that there really are no “facts”. It was painted on the wall of his home some time before his death but wasn’t found before he died. He never gave it a name or said anything about it.
There are facts, they just went with him to his grave.
Fair point. I guess it would be better to say that there isn’t much to learn about in terms of hard facts.