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Masterpiece
| Artist | Francisco de Goya |
|---|---|
| Title | Saturn devouring one of his children |
| Year | Between 1819 and 1823 |
| Technique | Mural converted to canvas |
| Current location | Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain |
Saturn devouring one of his children
Saturn devouring one of his children is the most gruesome, but probably also the best known, of the black paintings. It depicts a scene from classic mythology. Saturn (in Greek mythology: Cronos) has been told that one day he would be overthrown by one of his sons. To prevent this, he killed and devoured all of his children immediately after their births. His wife hid one of their children (Jupiter, or Zeus in Greek), and this child later indeed overthrew his father.
Goya has painted Saturn as a large, deformed monster with bulging eyes that has apparently bitten of his victim's head in one bite. The gory, battered, lifeless body of the victim evokes disgust more than pity. Strangely, the victim is an adult, or possibly a teenager, but not a baby (as in the story).
