Arcadópolis
Boy on a Ram
Francisco de Goya, 1786–1787
What you see
A boy sits astride a dark ram on a dirt path. He raises a thin switch in one hand and holds the animal’s rope with the other, looking straight at us. Together they form a compact shape at the center, framed by dark trees on the left and open sky on the right.
The colors are light and cheerful: blue sky, a pinkish cloud, a white hat with a pink ribbon and a sash to match. His suit, patterned in reddish and black diamonds, has a large white lace collar. Don’t miss the little golden bell hanging from the ram’s collar, and its tightly curled horns.
About Francisco de Goya
Francisco de Goya was born in Fuendetodos, Aragon, and became court painter to the kings of Spain. He painted elegant portraits, cheerful scenes for tapestries and also the horrors of war. He kept experimenting until the end of his life, and many consider him the first modern painter.
More by Francisco de Goya
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