Portrait of General José Manuel Romero
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes
1805–1815
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 105.5 × 87.7 cm (41 1/2 × 34 1/2 in.); Framed: 136.6 × 114.7 cm (53 3/4 × 45 1/8 in.)
- Genre
- painting
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
oil paintings (visual works)paintingred (color)nineteenth centuryportraits: male subject19th centurypaintmilitarycanvaslaceregaliaoil on canvasportraitgeneralsoil paint (paint)painting (image making)painting techniquesmanportraits: Spanish subjectuniformsportraitsmedalsoil paintingeuropean paintinggold (color)decorationspanish
About
The early 19th century was a troubled time in Spain. After Napoleon placed his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, on the Spanish throne in 1808, the people rose up in rebellion, eventually driving the French out with the help of the British army. Although his own sentiments were patriotic and liberal, Francisco de Goya dutifully fulfilled his obligations as first painter to the king. This is a portrait of José Manuel Romero, a minister under Joseph Bonaparte, although the degree to which the man is overwhelmed by his splendid court uniform and decorations may suggest a certain lack of sympathy on the part of the artist.
