Francisco Goya

Francisco Goya (1746-1828) was a Spanish painter and printmaker who is considered one of the most important figures in the development of modern art. He began his artistic training as a teenager in Zaragoza, and later moved to Madrid, where he became a successful court painter. He was also a prolific printmaker, creating over 200 etchings and lithographs during his lifetime. Goya's work ranges from portraits and landscapes to religious and historical paintings, but he is perhaps best known for his "Black Paintings," a series of fourteen murals he painted on the walls of his house outside Madrid in the last years of his life. These dark and haunting images are widely regarded as among his greatest works, and they continue to captivate and inspire viewers today.