Francesco Goya y Lucientes : Los Caprichos (The Caprices).

English

Today we begin our article series about a great painting, which was inspired by great number of painters, poets and musicians. His works are ab le to cross centuries, especially one of the major works of Francesco Goya y Lucientes : Los Caprichos (The Caprices).

The Caprices of Goya, eighties engravings, was published in 1799. Goya presents us a distorted view of the reality, and also properly shows us the aspects of degraded humanity. Firstly, the work has the element of grotesque or sinners, second, it guides us to one of the most obscured world, which reign the night, along with sorceries and the monsters.

In principle, his theme is about human who surrendered the reasons and was dominated by: the force of animality, the vices, the passions, the selfishness, the lies, the vanity, the lust, the social injustice, the superstition, or even the fanaticism of religion. His works are frequently used by classical musicians: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) - Italian composer of the twentieth century, for example, in his 24 Caprices of Goya for Guitar Op.195, will give us his musical interpretation of the work of painter.

We can approve that the ‘goyesc’ satire of the Caprices is subject in three predominant thematic intentions: 1° social satires, laden with violence and sarcasm; 2° the motivations of l’Eros on their various variations; 3° witchcrafts as demonic inspiration, like primitive and barbaric superstition, opposed to reason. All of these thematic intentions can be found in the hand writing of Caprice which we will discuss today:

Photo

‘Abandoned by reason, imagination produces impossible monsters. United with her, she is the mother of arts and produced wonders. ’

Caprice n°43 The sleep of reason producs monsters, the cover page used as a transition between the first and the second part of Caprices is a self-portrait of Goya which considered the most faithful representative. This engraving is one of the most famous among Caprices, and it is undoubtedly the most studied work of Goya.

Observing the structure, it spreads a swarm of bats and birds in the background. In the foreground, an artist is asleep and a wildcat is lying on the ground beside. The animal seems to suddenly alert that there is a threatening swarm of monsters rushing to the dreamer. A few papers are placed on the table and the artist fell asleep upon, in the meanwhile, an owl seems to want to wake him by a stylo. We can find the engraving in ‘Caprice XVIII’ with the same title of peinture in the 24 Caprice of Goya op.195, which transformed the dark and dangerous ideas in a short Chaconne including a theme and five variations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w_2PEcd8EI

It starts with a "tempo Lento e grave" in D minor, followed by rapid arpeggios of the first variation. Following the second variation, it is in the same tempo but the rhythm gradually turns down to announce coming of the calm storm. The sheet becomes most intensive and tensive in the third variation: "Molto mosse e deciso". The intensity and tension turn into violence in the fourth variation ("con impeto") which prepares to be exploded in the fifth variation "con fuoco" (with fire), and

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