Don Ramon Satue 1823

Editor: Right, let's dive in. This is Francisco de Goya’s “Don Ramon Satue,” painted in 1823, and currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. The medium, of course, is oil paint. It strikes me as quite austere, even somber. All those blacks! What stands out to you the most about this portrait? Curator: Ah, Goya. A master of the psychological portrait! It's more than just blacks to me, it's the blackness of the era closing in, isn’t it? Think about 1823. The Enlightenment’s lofty ideals had crashed, the monarchy had been restored. There's this disillusionment hanging heavy, I feel it radiating from the canvas, and pooling around Don Ramon. The crimson sash is fighting to hold back the shadows and the dark emotions! Do you sense that struggle as well? Editor: I do, now that you mention it. The red almost looks like a wound, or a desperate attempt at defiance. Is that why his face seems to carry so much weight, a burdened expressiveness? Curator: Exactly! Goya wasn’t simply capturing likeness, he was excavating character. Look at those eyes! Questioning, wary, perhaps even a little sad? This isn't a man basking in power; he is surviving. Don Ramon appears cornered by life. A bit like the rest of us, no? Have you ever felt like *you* were in a Goya portrait? Editor: Oh, constantly! This has made me see the painting – and Goya – in a completely new light. It’s far more than just a portrait. Curator: Precisely. And hopefully, next time you're facing your own “Goya blackness,” you’ll find a splash of defiant red within you too.