Goya, Francisco de (1746-1828)
Cristo crucificado (Christ on the Cross)
1780
Oil on canvas, 255 x 154 cm
Museo del Prado, Madrid
The figure of Christ is depicted following the tradition of seventeenth-century Spanish religious painting, although the classical concept of beauty disseminated in Spain by Mengs and Bayeu is also evident. In addition, Goya softened the more cruel and dramatic aspects of this subject, emphasising the beauty of the nude body. The canvas was presented by the artist at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid, in May 1780 and earned Goya the rank of Academician of Merit. In 1785 the painting was sent to the church of the Franciscan monastery of San Francisco el Grande in Madrid, in whose decoration King Charles III took a personal interest. Thus, the Academy recognized the technical qualities of this painting, as well as the orthodoxy of its image. (MNP)