Old Man Goya

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Julia Blackburn, an acclaimed non-fiction writer, elevates her craft in her exploration of the final years of the Spanish painter Francisco de Goya. Inspired by the loss of her mother, also a painter, Blackburn's fascination with Goya began after learning about his permanent deafness at 47. She sought to understand the world of this isolated artist and how his condition influenced his remaining senses. The narrative offers a perceptive journey into Goya's mind, blending history and fiction as Blackburn reflects on her mother's death, visits to Goya's former locales in Spain and France, and the painter's vibrant life amid personal and societal turmoil in early 19th-century Spain. The work traces Goya's evolution from a prosperous court painter to grappling with deafness, the devastation of the Peninsula War, the loss of his first wife, and a later relationship with a much younger mistress. Accompanying the text are 23 exquisite Goya copperplates, through which Blackburn perceives Goya as a silent observer, capturing the absurd, cruel, and carnivalesque aspects of life. Her elegant prose and keen eye for detail create a compassionate portrait of Goya, drawing readers into the dynamic energy of his life journey.