Women and Children near a Cross; folio 78 from the 'Images of Spain' Album (F)
Original title: Women and children near a cross; folio 78 from the "Images of Spain" Album (F)
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many comparable sheets from Goya's drawn legacy, this study focuses on a small group of women and children gathered around a wooden cross. It was executed with brush and brown wash on paper, belongs to the artist's album pages, and was likely made between 1812 and 1820.
Description
A plain wooden cross rises behind two kneeling women who face it. To their side stands a third woman holding a child in her arms, while another child waits on the ground below. The figures' garments suggest an earlier era. Brown tones dominate the entire image, and the light falls evenly with hardly any harsh shadows.
Context
This sheet belongs to the album 'Images of Spain,' which Goya assembled during the years of the Napoleonic Wars and the subsequent restoration in Spain. In this series, he recorded what he encountered in daily life and times of social hardship. The exact date of the drawing cannot be determined with certainty; it is presumed to be around 1812–20. It comes from a group of sheets Goya created for his own use, which only became public after his death.
Impact
A quiet, melancholic mood pervades the image, carried by the muted browns and the sparse layout. That the cross commands the center underscores the grief of those present without turning it into a religious exaltation.
Technique
Brush and brown wash on paper allowed Goya to work quickly and fluidly. The application of color creates soft transitions and graduated tonal values that give the sheet spatial depth.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)