Todorov on Goya's Dark Enlightenment

In 'Goya à l'ombre des Lumières', philosopher Tzvetan Todorov examines Francisco Goya's dualistic oeuvre, arguing that the artist's nocturnal works—such as the Caprichos, Disasters of War, Disparates, and Black Paintings—do not simply oppose reason but represent its blind spot. Todorov contextualizes Goya's life within Spanish history and the Napoleonic invasion, showing how the painter understood that noble ideals do not preclude atrocities committed in their name. The book, published by Flammarion, combines historical biography with iconographic analysis, and draws parallels between Goya's imagery and contemporary iconography of disaster and cruelty. Anaël Pigeat reviewed the work.