At the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine, there is a new exhibit featuring the work of Spanish painter Francisco de Goya (1746-1828).

Goya is perhaps best well-known for his painting, “Los Fusilamientos Del 3 De Mayo en Madrid,” a work that I believe I have discussed in the file on my website called “Voces y Visiones.”

When I lived in Spain, I had the opportunity to travel to Madrid and see many of Goya’s paintings. My recollection is that photos were not allowed inside the museum, but I was able to purchase a collection of postcards that have served as a quick and easy reference point for many years now. Of course, I have the text books that were used in my classes at the University, but the postcards are small, easily stored, and quickly available.

Tonight, I looked at a few of them again. Goya is most interesting as he had many “dark” moments. At those times, he painted, “Two Old People Eating Soups” (skeletons), “Saturn Devouring A Child,” and “The Colossus and The Panic.” In times of uplifted spirits, Goya painted “The Parasol” that features a lovely young couple with the suitor holding a parasol over the head of his lady friend. Another painting called “The Vintage” shows workers toiling in the field, and a woman, surrounded by her family, carrying a basket of fruits, on her head. His paintings stand in sharp contrast to each other.
We hope to attend the current exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art. If you are a member of the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH, as we are, that museum is under construction and closed down right now, and so, has a reciprocal agreement so that their members can have free admission in Portland.

We are so lucky that art resources abound in this part of the country, New England. We are also fortunate to see many traveling exhibits such as the “Voces y Visiones” one that originated at the Museo del Barrio en New York.

The ice storm is over and now we turn our thoughts to other things, besides the inclement weather.

Patricia

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