Arcadópolis
Portrait of Don Ramón Satué
Francisco de Goya, 1823
What you see
Ramón Satué stands half-length, hands tucked into his pockets. He tilts his head slightly and looks straight at us, his hair tousled and his sideburns long. His figure, almost entirely black, barely separates from the dark brown background, and the light gathers on his face and collar.
Against all that black, three notes stand out: the white of the ruffled shirt, the red of the waistcoat showing beneath the coat, and the red sash at his waist. The brushwork is free and unpolished. Look in the lower left for a pale inscription with his name and Goya’s signature.
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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