ArtSpeaks: Goya: A Portrait of the Artist

Janis A. Tomlinson’s new biography explores the full breadth of Goya’s imagery, from scenes inspired by life in Madrid to visions of worlds without reason, from royal portraits to the atrocities of war. She sheds light on the enigmatic artist’s ambition, success and personal trials, but also reconsiders the conventional interpretation of Goya’s late years as a period of disillusion. One reviewer has noted that Tomlinson’s is “the definitive biography of an artist whose faith in his art and his genius inspired paintings, drawings, prints, and frescoes that continue to captivate, challenge, and surprise us two centuries later.”