Goya y Lucientes, Francisco de – El quitasol Part 2 Prado Museum
Part 2 Prado Museum – Goya y Lucientes, Francisco de -- El quitasol
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The Spanish artist, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, or better known to us as Francisco Goya, who wrote prints, was one of the most brilliant artists of the 18th century. His painting Umbrella was painted in 1777, when he was only 33 years old. This painting is recognized as the best creation of the early Goya. He liked it and the artist himself. He managed to portray the warmth that he wanted to show in his picture. In the eighteenth century, the fashion for decorating houses and halls with tapestries.
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Description of the painting "Umbrella" by Francisco de Goya
The Spanish artist, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, or better known to us as Francisco Goya, who wrote prints, was one of the most brilliant artists of the 18th century.
His painting Umbrella was painted in 1777, when he was only 33 years old. This painting is recognized as the best creation of the early Goya. He liked it and the artist himself. He managed to portray the warmth that he wanted to show in his picture.
In the eighteenth century, the fashion for decorating houses and halls with tapestries. One day Francis Goya was also commissioned to create such paintings. Thus, Goya created his "Umbrella." But the umbrella itself is not the main detail of this painting. The delicate green umbrella here is most likely only a small highlight. And the main characters are a man and a woman. She is sitting in a clearing on a bright, sunny day. And the boy covers her with an umbrella on his left side.
Goya was able to convey the tenderness of the composition with the help of properly selected colors. The artist used warm shades of red, orange and peach. He dilutes them with a blue corset of the lady and a blue belt of the man. There is a lot of green in the painting. It’s an umbrella, a greenish sky, and trees on the side.
I wonder who these two men are? Maybe Goya depicted a servant and a mistress. Or maybe they are a couple in love. The girl is sitting near a stone wall, holding a fan. On her lap sits a dark dog with a red collar. She is dressed in a dress with a gold skirt and a long cape over her shoulders.
On her chest is a beautiful brooch flower. She has red jewelry on her head and her pearl earrings in her ears. The light shadow of an umbrella falls on her face. A young man stands behind her. He is wearing a red suit, with gold buttons, and on his head is a blue sunbelt.
Today the painting is in Madrid, in the Museo del Prado.
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The background is rendered with looser brushstrokes, depicting foliage and a pale sky. The light source seems to originate from the right side, illuminating the figures and casting shadows that contribute to the depth of the scene. A large parasol held by the man casts a shadow over the woman, an ironic detail given its symbolic potential.
Several layers of interpretation can be drawn from this depiction. The contrast between the woman’s refined attire and the mans simple clothing highlights a social disparity or perhaps a power dynamic within their relationship. The act of shielding the woman from the sun with the parasol could be interpreted as protection, but also as an assertion of control – a symbolic taking away of light and freedom. Her downcast gaze and passive posture reinforce this sense of subjugation.
The dog’s presence introduces a domestic element, potentially suggesting a shared life or dependence. However, its placement between the two figures can also be seen as a visual barrier, further emphasizing the distance between them. The overall tone is ambiguous; while theres an apparent intimacy in their physical proximity, the underlying power dynamics and the woman’s subdued demeanor create a sense of unease and suggest a narrative beyond the surface level depiction. The painting invites contemplation on themes of social hierarchy, control, and the complexities of human relationships.