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Art examines a time of economic crisis, war and political corruption Full set of Francisco Goya’s Los Caprichos on view at the Taft Museum of Art, with information about the artworks available in English and Spanish Francisco Goya: Los Caprichos December 3, 2010-January 30, 2011 Acting as an 18th century version of The Daily Show, Los Caprichos by Francisco Goya took an insightful yet darkly humorous view of contemporary Spanish society. From blasting provincial superstition to criticizing political corruption, this set of etchings confirms Goya’s liberalism and demonstrates the artist’s revulsion at intellectual oppression imposed by political and religious leaders. The full set of 18th-century Spanish artist Francisco Goya’s 80 haunting images from Los Caprichos (“The Whims” or “The Fantasies,” published in 1799) confronts human hypocrisy, pretense, fear, and irrationality, picturing them in every conceivable form. Information about the artworks and the artist in the gallery during this exhibition will be available in English and Spanish. This is the first time the Taft is offering bilingual labels for an exhibition. Goya’s singularly original visions of monsters, specters, corpses, and other bitter or callous beings enact challenges to authority of all kinds, including that of the church and state, with great precision and detail. “I think visitors will find the images in Los Caprichos, though created at the end of the 1700s, incredibly relevant to our current state of the world,” says Deborah Scott, director/CEO of the Taft Museum of Art. “ Goya created these controversial works in a time of economic crisis in Spain. He also articulated his Enlightenment ideals through his work, questioning the church, politicians, and other figures of authority.” Los Caprichos are likely the great Spanish artist’s most influential works and continue to inspire artists to this day. As both prints and images, theyare decades ahead of their time. Goya pioneered astonishingly innovative etching techniques, visual forms, and artistic themes, anticipating the later movements known as Realism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, and Surrealism. “In these riveting and often nightmarish images, Goya anticipated by a hundred years Freud’s and the Surrealists’ hallucinatory world of human irrationality and dreams,” says Lynne Ambrosini, chief curator, Taft Museum of Art. “It’s startling how Goya transforms sometimes ghoulish visions into something of great beauty through the power of his drawing and printmaking techniques,” says Ambrosini. “His dark skies have velvety charcoal surfaces so smooth you’d like to touch them; his monsters have the most alluring, smudged and softened fur, and his decadent Spanish ladies wear lace mantillas drawn with lines of great delicacy.” The etchings on view are from an early first edition, one of four sets acquired directly from Goya, and belong now to an American private collector. The exhibition is organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, California, in association with Denenberg Fine Arts, West Hollywood, California. Goya (1746–1826) is one of the world’s greatest artists, as famous for portraits that seemingly penetrate his sitters’ souls as he is for portrayals of the brutality of the Napoleonic Wars in Spain (1808–14). The Taft Museum of Art owns an important oil portrait by Goya, Queen Maria Luisa of Spain, of about 1800.
The Taft Museum of Art is at 316 Pike St., in downtown Cincinnati. The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors and free for children under 18. The museum is free to all on Sundays. Call 513-241-0343 or visit the website at www.taftmuseum.org for additional information. ###### The Taft Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to the Fine Arts Fund. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Taft Museum of Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is affiliated with the Association of Midwest Museums and the Ohio Museums Association. Mission Statement The Taft Museum of Art welcomes people of every background to experience a world-renowned collection in a beautiful historic house. Through its intimate presentation of the Tafts' treasures and its engaging exhibitions, programs, and activities, the Museum creates enjoyment and learning opportunities for all. Diversity Statement The Taft Museum of Art respects the dignity of all people and values what each member of our team brings to the organization. Accordingly, the Museum is committed to building an inclusive environment that welcomes and values diversity. This includes our staff, board of directors, volunteers and visitors. As an organization we recognize the importance of attracting and retaining talented people of different backgrounds. We understand how a diverse work team of staff, board of directors and volunteers benefits our organization by enabling us to draw upon a richness of resources. We want all our team members to feel appreciated for their uniqueness, so we work to foster an environment that provides everyone equal access to information and opportunities. This ensures that each person learns, grows, excels and maximizes his or her personal contributions. The Museum will thus be able to tap into a greater wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences to develop and deliver programs and services to an increasingly diverse audience.