Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) was a legendary Spanish painter and printmaker who is renowned as the first ‘modern’ artist. Goya’s late artworks were sombre and pessimistic, illustrating his bleak view of disparaging social and political climates. Although many of his personal standpoints no longer exist in written form, the artworks tell Goya’s stories. These, along with Goya’s life, were a significant influence on Salvador Dalí.
Goya’s etching suite, Los Caprichos (The Caprices) was made in 1797 to 1798 before being published in book form in 1799. The set of eighty prints is Goya’s satirical response and experiment to reveal the immeasurable follies, deceitful manners, and self-obsession found in Spanish culture at the time, along with social superstitions. However due to the political climate, he had to disguise the implied depictions within the artworks. The prints are currently on display at dAda mUse alongside Dalí’s response to them.
Salvador Dalí’s Les Caprices de Goya suite contains eighty original etchings with aquatint and colour on paper. Following the themes of Goya’s artworks, Dalí added his own symbology and created the suite in 1977. To see the collection, along with additional rare working watercolours by Dalí, visit the art museum.
dAda mUse’s collection of Goya and Dalíartworks are on display on the upper floor of dAda mUse from December 2023 to March 2024, with a taster of the collection on the lower floor.