Goya's Folly of the Carnival
Francisco de Goya has been called the father of modern art. He believed that the concept of artwork overpowered the need to cater to a particular style. Near the latter years of his life, he was made deaf from an illness that resulted in a grim and satirical view on life. Within his piece Folly of the Carnival, all these characteristics become evident. Folly of the Carnival is an etching and aquatint carved sometime in the early 19th century. Although in black in white, the vivid colors of the figures costumes seem to pop out due to their detailed fabric and stylized poses. The pieced is bathed in a dark and gloomy atmosphere as onlookers in the background observe five men engaged in some sort of frenzy. An intense gaze between two figures moves us into the piece. With their eyes only inches apart, it creates a tension that can not be ignored. The background displays a dark and faded crowd staring as an audience at the spectacle before them. The viewer is then pulled in as one of those spectators.
The ground consists of a series of horizontal lines along with the muted audience in the background. The figure standing at the top of the piece consists of a series of vertical lines. The man an the right side is standing with observation atop a casting shadow that moves to the left. While two figures on the most left side seem to be pulling the man back or possibly grabbing each others backsides. The two figures in the center are standing with feet together and legs bent with almost perfect symmetry. After France invaded Spain in the Napoleonic wars, Goya's once optimistic view on life became one of cynicism and concern. The piece is a gloomy portrayal of man in pursuit of worldly pleasures. igures in the fore ground are standing in almost a photographic snapshot pose. They are caught in the midst of an action. It is difficult to distinguish between the masked figures and the unmasked figures due to stylized and exaggerated facial features. The light source shines from the right side, illuminating the five figures in the foreground. The depth of field is determined by the two lays of figures. He stands isolated either in pause or rest from the action. The majority of the contrast come from the five figures in the foreground. The left edge is activated as the left most figure is poring into the scene.
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