Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes - The sleep of reason produces monsters (No. 43), from Los Caprichos
Luz y sombra: Goya and Spanish realism
The inaugural exhibition of EUROPALIA ESPAÑA celebrates one of the most important figures of Spanish art, Francisco de Goya (1746-1828). A court painter, he produced magnificent religious paintings as well as engaging portraits of prominent intellectuals that reflect his engagement in the political debates of the time. He also created drawings and satirical prints that offered sharp critiques on the shortcomings of a society in full transformation. His name defines a genre in itself, the goyesque, while his practice is striking for its ability to distil tradition into a modernity that anticipates the later principles of contemporary art. Generations of artists have drawn upon his work to respond to pivotal moments in Spain’s recent history, demonstrating the enduring radical relevance of his vision.
Trained as a painter, the young Goya aspired to join the Academy. He made a study trip to Italy and followed the classical artistic canon. However, he soon broke away from academic conventions and developed a sensitive personal style that fused classical allegory with everyday anecdote. When Europe was swept by revolutionary fervour, he embraced the ideals of the Spanish Enlightenment and painted portraits of its thinkers. His engagement extended to documenting the ills of Spain. The devastating effects of war and the failure of the liberal political project led to disillusionment, from which emerged his famous series of prints — Los Caprichos, Los Disparates, and Los Desastres de la Guerra. Strikingly contemporary, these works stem from intimate experience and the painful recognition of human fallibility, which even reason appeared unable to prevent. While everything seems to oscillate between life and death, light and darkness, it is in fact an expression of a mystical depth inherent in the realism Goya inherited from Spanish tradition, and which remains palpable in the arts and culture of the country to this day.
The exhibition Luz y sombra: Goya and Spanish realism, curated by Rocío Gracia Ipiña and Leticia Sastre Sánchez, brings together a selection of his paintings, drawings, and prints in dialogue with works by predecessors, contemporaries, and followers. The exhibition unfolds in three sections corresponding to three key moments in Goya’s life, each highlighting the artist’s formal and conceptual legacy across generations. Alongside Goya, the exhibition features work by other major Spanish artists such as Miró and Picasso but also introduces lesser-known names to Belgian audiences, such as Ignacio Zuloaga, Gutiérrez Solana, Jorge Oteiza, and García Rodro.
Parallel to the exhibition, there will be performances, concerts, and other events at Bozar and across Belgium. More information will be available soon.