Saturn Devouring His Sons Francisco Jose De Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828)
Francisco Jose De Goya y Lucientes – Saturn Devouring His Sons
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Painter: Francisco Jose De Goya y Lucientes
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If one follows the usual interpretation, Francisco Goya’s painting depicts Cronus, a god from ancient Greek mythology. The name Saturn dates back to the Roman era. This deity, following a prophecy in which he was foretold to be overthrown by one of his offspring, devours children who are still alive. But the artist interprets the story in his own way. In the myths, Cronus ate babies completely swaddled.
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Description of Francisco de Goya’s painting Saturn Eats His Children
If one follows the usual interpretation, Francisco Goya’s painting depicts Cronus, a god from ancient Greek mythology. The name Saturn dates back to the Roman era. This deity, following a prophecy in which he was foretold to be overthrown by one of his offspring, devours children who are still alive.
But the artist interprets the story in his own way. In the myths, Cronus ate babies completely swaddled. Here we see that the heroes of the work are completely naked. Originally, the picture was painted on the wall of the house of Francisco Goya, but a few years later it was transferred to the canvas.
The background of the work is blackness, which symbolizes the emptiness that comes at the moment of each death. God resembles a starving old man: his limbs are dry and wiry. The color of his skin is more appropriate for a sickly creature. Saturn’s eyes display, if I may say so, the last degree of madness. They are about to roll out onto the bridge of his nose. The disheveled hair, falling down in dried spikes, completes the feeling. God’s mouth is wide open, as if trying to cram as much as possible into his mouth at a time.
Some scholars argue that the artist thus demonstrated the relationship between Saturn’s open mouth and the gates to hell, where his children disappear one by one.
Clutching tightly with his palms, the god holds the rest of the body of one of the offspring. Red spots can be seen on the sides of the deceased. Saturn has clawed so hard into the child’s flesh that the child is bleeding. Francisco Goya captured the moment when the head had already disappeared into the bowels of the cannibal’s body, and the god proceeded to devour the baby’s arm.
The artist, using gloomy tones, successfully conveyed a sense of the horror that could arise in an unwitting viewer at the sight of such action. No bright colors other than red were used in the work.
COMMENTS: 2 Ответы
Этот придурок не украинцем, случайно, был?
да, это украинец ест русскоязычного младенца
You cannot comment Why?
Certainly, I can describe the painting for you.
Description of the Image:
The painting, Saturn Devouring His Sons by Francisco Goya, is a deeply disturbing and visceral depiction of the Roman god Saturn in the act of consuming one of his children. The scene is rendered in dark, somber tones, with the figures emerging from an oppressive black background.
The central figure, Saturn, is portrayed as a monstrous, disheveled, and powerful being. His eyes are wide with a terrifying madness, bulging and unfocused. His hair is wild and disheveled, and his mouth is agape, revealing a long, blood-red tongue. He clutches the mangled body of a child, whose head and one arm are missing, having already been bitten off and consumed. The childs body is pale and limp, a stark contrast to the raw, bloodied flesh that Saturn is tearing into. Saturns body is muscular and gaunt, with gnarled limbs that convey a sense of primal, destructive force. The overall impression is one of savage, bestial hunger and utter despair.
Subtexts:
This painting is rich with symbolic and psychological subtexts, and several interpretations have been proposed:
Fear of Time and Mortality: The most common interpretation relates to the myth of Saturn, who, fearing a prophecy that his children would overthrow him, devoured them shortly after birth. In this context, Saturn can be seen as a symbol of time itself, which inevitably consumes all things, including youth, life, and civilization. Goya, writing in his later years and experiencing personal ailments, might have been reflecting on his own mortality and the relentless march of time.
Political Disillusionment and Violence: The painting was created during a tumultuous period in Spanish history, marked by war, revolution, and political upheaval. Saturn can be interpreted as representing destructive political forces, such as the state or authoritarian regimes, that consume their own people or their future generations to maintain power. The savage violence of the act could reflect the brutality and barbarity Goya witnessed or feared in society.
The Dark Side of the Divine/Human Nature: The painting may also explore the darker aspects of human nature and the potential for barbarity even within seemingly powerful or divine figures. The monstrous depiction of Saturn suggests a complete loss of reason and humanity, driven by primal fear and a desperate urge for self-preservation, however corrupted. It can be seen as a commentary on the irrationality and destructive potential that lies dormant within individuals and societies.
Personal Anguish and Psychological Turmoil: Goya created this work as part of his Black Paintings, which were discovered on the walls of his house after his death. These works are known for their deeply personal and often bleak themes. Saturn Devouring His Sons could be an expression of Goyas own inner demons, anxieties, and psychological torment, a visual manifestation of his despair and disillusionment with the world.
In essence, Saturn Devouring His Sons is a powerful and horrific allegory that transcends its mythological origins to speak about the universal themes of time, destruction, fear, political violence, and the deepest, darkest corners of the human psyche.