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Saturn Devouring His Son by Francisco Goya
(lemmy.world)
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2073256
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_Devouring_His_Son
According to the traditional interpretation, it [the painting] depicts the Greek myth of the Titan Cronus (in the title Romanised to Saturn), who, fearing that he would be overthrown by one of his children, ate each one upon their birth. The work is one of the 14 Black Paintings that Goya painted directly onto the walls of his house sometime between 1819 and 1823.
I remember when we went on a field trip to the Prado Museum as a child. We weren't interested in art or anything; all that mattered to us was that we didn't have to attend classes that day.
We walked around with our group while the teacher talked to us about the paintings and techniques. Obviously, none of us cared and we whispered jokes, especially if there was someone naked in any of the paintings.
And then we reached Goya's paintings.
This painting left a mark on many of us. We had already seen blood, nudes, and eerie things... I don't know how long I stood there, mesmerized by the painting. I asked my teacher to tell us more about it because I couldn't take my eyes off it, and I didn't want to move to any other room.
It's completely hypnotic. Even as an adult, I have been to the Prado several times, and I always find myself staring at this painting for what always will seem like too little time for me.