Art: Goya's Women

Demonic witches, cheeky majas, blond angels--he portrayed every she-creature the eye could light on

Francisco Goya is one of those artists who seem both to transcend their time and to epitomize it. Nihil humanum a me alienum puto (I hold nothing alien from me that has to do with human nature), wrote the Roman poet Terence. This motto was lived out to the fullest degree by certain 19th century geniuses. Charles Dickens, with his insatiable interest in character and narrative, was one. In a more abstract way--music being an abstract art anyway--so was Beethoven, in his creation of equivalents for the human passions. And so, in the domain of the visual, was Goya--and there was...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!