Construction; page 46 from the 'Images of Spain' album (F)

Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)

ca. 1812–20 · Brush with gray-brown and irongall washes, with scraping on laid paper · Drawings and Prints

The great project shown rising in the background of this drawing might be the Madrid Opera House or the column in Buen Retiro Park, both of which were under construction by 1819. But as in so much of Goya’s work, events and locations provided an opportunity to explore freely; ostensible realism was a vehicle for delving into other concerns. This drawing might relate to page 45 from the album (35.103.30) of a radiant woman, which has been interpreted as an allegory of constitutional Spain attacked by authoritarian forces. In that context, perhaps the present sheet refers to rebuilding a democratic system through common endeavor.

Artist

Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)

Date

ca. 1812–20

Medium

Brush with gray-brown and irongall washes, with scraping on laid paper

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1935