Subject: Foreign Language: Spanish

Artists of the World Series (Spanish)

Francisco José de Goya: The Painter Who Lost His Head (Spanish)

Francisco José de Goya was one of Spain's great masters of art. Today his paintings have as much impact as they did when they were created. This program weaves a celebration of the great artist while revealing a little-known story about his self-imposed exile from Spain: after 52 years of neglect, Goya's body did not have its head. As we follow a Quixote-like quest to bring Goya back to Spain, and to solve the mystery of the head, we learn of Goya's life and work. Produced by Rafael Diez Gines.Francisco José de Goya (1746-1828), along with El Greco and Diego Velazquez, is one of Spain's great masters of art. It is known his work influenced Manet and Picasso, and today his paintings have as much impact as they did when they were created. Truly, the spirit of Goya lives on; however, there was a time when this great artist was a forgotten soul. Through three voices this unique program weaves a celebration of the great artist while revealing a little-known story about his self-imposed exile from Spain and subsequent death in Bordeaux, France. Here we learn how Joaquin Pereyra, the Spanish consul in Bordeaux, discovered Goya's body after 52 years of neglect. Another interesting fact: Goya's head had been removed from its body. As we follow Pereyra's Quixote-like quest to bring Goya back to Spain, and to solve the mystery of the head, we learn of Goya's life and work. How after a serious disease in 1792 left the artist deaf his work took a more serious tone. Of Goya's work in series, such as Los Caprichos, which reflected his feeling of a lack of hope in man's ability to rise above misfortune and of Spain being a country filled with empty souls; thus clarifying his eventual exile to France. Overall, this production reveals that one head such as Goya's is sufficient to give an intense, spiritual flavor to life while his art reminds us of the epic meaning to life. Produced by Rafael Diez Gines. 2010DR/CL JSCA 60 min. Also available in English.