Saturn Devouring His Son: Francisco Goya
Coming from the Prado Museum, Saturn Devouring His Son depicts exactly that. This painting is part of the "Black Paintings" series that Goya painted near the end of his life on the walls of his house and is one of Goya's most powerful depictions of fear. (1) Based on the myth of Saturn and Jupiter, father and son, this painting comments on family relations and the tensions that often exist between parent and child. Goya's wife experienced many miscarriages and only one of their sons, Javier, survived to adulthood; the viewer is left to imagine all of the difficulties that Goya and Javier may have experienced in their relationship, (2) and reflect on their own relationship with their parents. In this painting Saturn is acting out of fear and killing his son Jupiter, perhaps a reflection on King Ferdinand VII's rule in Spain during 1823, the year this piece was finished. During his reign King Ferdinand VII ruled with an iron fist--killing liberals, reviving the inquisition, spending money on grandiose projects while his subjects starved, and limiting freedom of expression. Most importantly this painting displays the freedom in the admission of fear, (2) reminding the viewer of their power to face their fears and defeat them.
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(1) https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/online-gallery/on-line-gallery/obra/saturn-devouring-one-of-his-sons/
(2) http://cat.middlebury.edu/~nereview/22-3/morgan.html
(2) http://cat.middlebury.edu/~nereview/22-3/morgan.html