Francisco Goya seems to be a true man of his time. His dramatic change in the depiction of the 18th century and 19th century in which he lived, seems to reflect the events of his time. The reigning ideas at the turn of the century concerning the rise of the bourgeoisie and the clout that the working class began to have is reflected in his paintings as he changes from a light and positive view of the aristocracy to a dark and somber depiction of those in the bottom ladder of society. Perhaps such a sudden change reflects his own perilous journey into what has been labeled as madness, or perhaps like reigning artists of human history he was able to depict with artistic skill the major events and ideologies of his time.
From the documentary this painting was one that caught my eye above all others. I haven’t read enough to make a clear argument on its meaning, especially in regards to its connection to modernity. All I know is that it is supposed to reflect the time in some way or another. My guess, would be that with the rise of enlightenment ideals-mainly those concerning the creation of a governing body that was said to be compromised by a group of ordinary men-the god Saturn perhaps represents these ideals? And if this be the case, the ghastly picture of him eating his own son, can be seen to interpret how these ideals that gave rise to a working class are ironically the very principles that were causing their terrible working and living conditions.
