Goya: Or the Hard Way to Enlightenment

Goya's talent earns him prestige as his client list grows among Madrid's elite. This success brings him into the royal court of Charles IV, where his reputation rises. He begins to see the power structures that govern court life.

He is passionately drawn to the Duchess Alba, but he despises the decadent aristocracy she embodies. At the same time, he clings to his faith in the king and the church, shaping his choices at court. The love-hate dynamic marks his early years at court.

Esteve, his colleague and friend, shows him the contradictions of the closed world around him. He is guided toward the simple people outside the capital and begins to look beyond aristocratic circles. This marks a shift toward drawing from everyday life.

In a Madrid tavern he meets the singer Maria Rosario. Later he witnesses her condemnation by the Inquisition, an event that shocks him deeply. The spectacle reveals the brutal power of religious authority over art and life.

He is profoundly moved by the song Maria Rosario must recite as proof of guilt. The scene exposes the Inquisition's coercion and the price paid by those judged as outsiders. It deepens his sense that art must bear witness to social misery.

As he begins to paint from the life of the people, his inner pain grows with the country’s misery. He confronts the moral contradictions of the world he sees from within the court to the outskirts. The weight of these observations hardens his artistic vision.

His relationship with Alba leads to self-destructive behavior, and the strain manifests as a sudden hearing loss. He becomes isolated, cut off from the sounds of the world he once heard. This personal crisis reverberates through his art and outlook.

He turns his back on the farm and travels deaf to his mother's home in Aragon. The journey signifies an exile from the court's values and from familiar comforts. He seeks rest and renewal as he tries to resume his craft.

With Esteve's help, he finds his way back to painting. This return marks an inner turning away from the dominant social and church values. He recommits to his work as a form of truth.

He becomes plagued by demons whom he recognizes in the deeds and social influence around him. These inner forces flow into his work, giving it a darker, more critical edge. His art reflects a haunted consciousness rather than a mere depiction.

Goya falls into the clutches of the Inquisition; the Grand Inquisitor urges him to renounce his ideas. He remains firm in his belief that misery and horror arise from the surrounding circumstances. He refuses to dilute the truth of his pictures.

Choosing exile, he distances himself from oppressive structures. He remains convinced of the truth and importance of his pictures. His art continues as a relentless witness to suffering.

In 1808, Madrid rises against the French occupation but is brutally suppressed. Struck by the violence he witnesses, Goya begins the cycle The Disasters of War. The series cements his role as a chronicler of social horror.