Goya (Hardcover)

The book offered me much more. It has very good coverage of all Goya's work and what is known about his personal life. Mr. Hughes also has a wonderful ability to describe a work of art in a way that helps you see it in its historical context . . . rather than just in terms of today. From those perspectives, I became equally enthused about Goya's Caprichos and came to understand more about bullfighting and witches than I ever would have otherwise.

The book has a personal touch to it that is compelling. Mr. Hughes suffered a horrible accident before starting this book and had a lengthy recovery before he could begin the work. All of that frustration seems to have energized him to make the book come to life more than one would have ever thought possible.

The book does have three flaws that you should be aware of before beginning. First, the reproductions are usually quite small. If Mr. Hughes hadn't pointed out the tiny details in many cases, no reader would have been able to discern those details from looking at the pages here. Second, you will probably learn more than you ever wanted to know about the Spanish Bourbons for whom Goya was the court painter. There is such as thing as too much historical context. Third, Mr. Hughes like to make unnecessary criticisms at historical figures that seem gratuitously related to the work here. For example, Ernest Hemingway is characterized as having modeled his style after a woman writer and therefore cannot write appropriately about bull fights.

But if you want to find lots of reasons to enjoy Goya, this is your book.

Good viewing!

Much like Robert Hughes, I was immediately moved and fascinated by what I saw - in particular the legendary Black paintings recovered from the artist's home after his death. I left determined to find out more about the man and bought this book after reading other user's glowing recommendations. I found it informative and highly readable. Crucially it is also opinionated as all writing on the arts should be, lest it give nothing more than can be obtained from a gallery audioguide.

Hughes goes to great lengths to position Goya in his time and to demonstrate the effect the pig-ignorant rule of the Bourbons and the atrocities of both the Inquisition and the Peninsula War had on his state of mind and hence his art. Whilst he recognised Goya's importance to the art world, he makes a compelling case for Goya as the one artist of his time to exert a great influence on modern reportage.

The prints are plentiful and of an excellent quality and Hughes detailed examination of both minor and major pieces is every bit as insightful and moving as the broader-brush historical angles.

I simply cannot recommend this book strongly enough - it's marvellous.

I will now be adding Hughes' slighter biography of that other Spanish giant of European art - Picasso - to my wish list!