Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
Starting from modest origins in rural Spain, Francisco Goya (1746-1828) rose to become one of the most celebrated artists in Europe and prime court painter to the Spanish Crown. Today, however, Goya is less known for his accomplished career in Catholic Church commissions and royal portraiture than his dramatic late-in-life turn towards the dark and macabre, including a series of works known as the ‘Black Paintings’ that were never intended for public display. In this instalment of his YouTube series Great Art Explained, the UK curator, gallerist and video essayist James Payne details how a combination of geopolitical and personal struggles led Goya to the bleak outlook that birthed these intense and often disturbing images, as well as the indelible influence they’ve had on art in the centuries since his death.
Video by Great Art Explained
video
Architecture
The celebrated architect who took inspiration from sitting, waiting and contemplating
29 minutes
video
Anthropology
Why are witchcraft accusations so common across human societies?
4 minutes
video
Subcultures
Drop into London’s eclectic skate scene, where newbies and old-timers find community
5 minutes
video
Wellbeing
Born in China, Zee seeks a gender-affirming life in the American Midwest
11 minutes
video
Rituals and celebrations
A whale hunt is an act of prayer for an Inuit community north of the Arctic Circle
8 minutes
video
Music
The peculiar beauty of a song caught between composition and improvisation
3 minutes
video
Rituals and celebrations
A beginner’s guide to a joyful Persian tradition of spring renewal and rebirth
3 minutes
video
Politics and government
How it looked to Afghan women to see the Taliban return to power
33 minutes
video
Love and friendship
Love looks a bit different for a chain-smoking couple in a small apartment
11 minutes