Goya Retrospective Finally Opens at Fondation Beyeler in Basel

The Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Basel, has opened its long-awaited retrospective 'Goya', dedicated to Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746–1828). Originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition is curated by Martin Schwander, with project development by Isabela Mora and Samuel Keller. It features loans from major museums worldwide, including the Museo del Prado, and presents numerous rarely seen works from private collections. The show traces Goya's career chronologically and thematically, from early genre scenes like 'La cucaña' (1787) and 'El pelele' (1791–92) to court portraits of the Duchess of Osuna (1785), the Duchess of Alba (1795), and Ferdinand VII (1815). After a severe illness in 1792 left him nearly deaf, Goya produced darker works on madness, witchcraft, and torture, as well as the 'Caprichos' etchings (published 1799). The 'Disasters of War' series (1810–1820, published 1863) documents Napoleonic invasion atrocities. The exhibition also includes a new video by French artist Philippe Parreno, 'La Quinta del Sordo', offering a high-definition exploration of the site where Goya created his 'Black Paintings'. The show runs until January 23, 2022.