To copy-cat the Dog

The Dog - 1820-1823 /134 x 80 cm / Oil on plaster remounted on canvas / Museo del Prado, Madrid
As always a million things has been said about this painting. I don't care. I love personal encounters, feelings.
I noted it was in the series of "Black Paintings", paintings he made directly on the walls of his home "House of the Deaf" and the place it had in the house made that this painting was the last to be seen. I love this idea of this painting being like a signature... Like the last message... Only dogs are clever enough to see the light ??? (ha ha ha)
There is another painting, with people, in the same sort of position ... but the fact they look at us, and turn their back to the light makes it funny to compare with the sort of awe of the dog. (1)
One of the things that I noted, is that it's a painting of a man, tired by the sadness of war, conflicts, stupidity around him. He lived in this house, where he painted "The Dog" from 1819 to 1823, before choosing to exile himself in France, away from all this. He left the house to his son or grandson and left. Goya never intended to show anyone these paintings... but they were transfered on canvas, decades after ...
This man had a lot of humour (Maja paintings always make me laugh) and living during the dark times of Inquisition must have been difficult for someone with such a sensitivity, conscious of what surrounded him, the limits of what he could ... paint or not. From "Disasters of War"to "Black Paintings", one can feel the feelings of this man, his concern for what happened.
"The Dog", like the work here under , "The Sleep of Reason produces monsters" represent to my eyes what resume Goya best of all ...

(1) Link to what could be the 15th "Black Painting". As according to some inventory there were 7 paintings downstairs, and 8 upstairs. The last to be seen, near the door, being "The Dog". But on the other side of the door, on the same wall, there must have been this painting ...
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Cabezas_en_un_paisaje.jpg
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peintures_noires
plan of the house
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Quintasordo.svg
lot of images here and there :
http://eeweems.com/goya/bio_index.html
http://homepage.mac.com/dmhart/WarArt/StudyGuides/Goya.html
Labels: Goya Dog War disaster hope


