Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes
, Spanish, 1746-1828
Title
El SueñoDatec.1800
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
46.5 x 76 cm
Credit LinePurchased, 1969 (Shaw Fund)
Object numberNGI.1928
DescriptionGoya’s portrayal of a sleeping girl continues to intrigue, and is a painting tour de force in muted silver greys and browns, with soft light illuminating the girl’s hair and catching the gold decoration of her low-cut bodice. Her face is turned away in half-shadow, adding to the sense of mystery. Night subjects by Goya tend to have references to the darker side of the human spirit, however there is a sense of undisturbed innocence here. He often worked at night, by candlelight, to create chiaroscuro effects. The canvas’s shape has led to suggestions that this was a decorative over-door. There was a painting by him of the same subject in the collection of Sebastián Martínez of Cadiz, which cannot now be traced. Goya spent several months in Cadiz in the winter of 1792-93, recovering from a serious illness, but that work is generally dated later, judging by the handling of the brushwork. Similar sketchy brushwork and dappled light can be seen in the clothed Maja (c.1800-05; Prado, Madrid), who is a more provocative sitter. Goya had a long and varied career as a tapestry designer, royal painter, portraitist and fresco painter. In his prints, he was also a chronicler of the horrors of a corrupt society and of war. Going deaf in 1792 seems to have heightened his sensitivity as an artist. He eventually went into exile in 1824.
March 2016
ProvenanceExhibited by the Marqués de Cassa Jiménez in Madrid, 1900; the Marquesa de Casa Jiménez c.1924; Mathilde Kocherthler, Berlin; inheritors of Mathilde Kocherthler; Mr. Heineman, New York; Agnew and Son, London; Purchased, 1969 (Shaw Fund) Exhibition HistoryFrom Titan to Delacroix; Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, Yokohama Sogo Museum of Art, Yokohama, 25 August 1993 - 17 October 1993; Chiba Sogo Museum of Art, Chiba, 10 November 1993 - 20 December 1993; Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum, Yamaguchi, 5 January 1994 - 20 February 1994; Kobe City Museum, Kobe, 25 February 1994 - 10 April 1994; Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo, 14 April 1994 - 24 May 1994
European Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 25 June 1994 - 3 October 1994; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 October 1994 - 15 January 1995
Goya 1746 - 1828, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, 29 March 1996 - 30 May 1996
The Night, Haus der Kunst, Munich, 30 October 1998 - 7 February 1999
Goya: Images of Women, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, 30 October 2001 - 9 February 2002; National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 10 March 2002 - 2 June 2002
Francisco de Goya 1746 - 1828, Museo Nacional de Artes, Mexico City, 17 November 2005 - 13 March 2006
Goya and Italy, Museo de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 18 March 2008 - 15 April 2008
Shades of Grey: Painting without Colour, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 22 June-29 September 2013
Label TextGoya is known for his depictions of nightmarish visions such as The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (1797-99). This scene is therefore unusual for its gentle intimacy. A young woman is shown sleeping in a darkened space. The artist creates a sense of mystery by half concealing her face in shadow. The light fabric of her dress is highlighted with touches of gold, as though illuminated by moon or candlelight. Indeed, Goya often worked at night-time as he found candlelight conducive to creating chiaroscuro effects. The painting’s horizontal format has led to suggestions that it was originally designed as a decorative over-door.