Painting Saturn Devouring His Son

peter paul rubens more baroque-style saturn devouring son (1636) may have inspired goya.

various interpretations of meaning of picture have been offered: conflict between youth , old age, time devourer of things, wrath of god , allegory of situation in spain, fatherland consumed own children in wars , revolution. there have been explanations rooted in goya s relationships own son, xavier, of 6 children survive adulthood, or live-in housekeeper , possible mistress, leocadia weiss; sex of body being consumed can not determined certainty. if goya made notes on picture, have not survived; never intended picture public exhibition, had little interest in explaining significance. has been said painting essential our understanding of human condition in modern times, michelangelo s sistine chapel ceiling essential understanding tenor of 16th century .

goya may have been inspired peter paul rubens 1636 picture of same name. rubens painting, held @ museo del prado, brighter, more conventional treatment of myth: saturn exhibits less of cannibalistic ferocity portrayed in goya s rendition. however, critics have suggested rubens portrayal more horrific: god portrayed calculating remorseless killer, – fearing own position of power – murders innocent child. goya s vision, on other hand, shows man driven mad act of killing own son. in addition, body of son in goya s picture of adult, not helpless baby depicted rubens. goya had produced chalk drawing of same subject in 1796-7 closer in tone rubens work: showed saturn similar in appearance of rubens , daintily biting on leg of 1 of sons while holds leg of chicken, none of gore or madness of later work. goya scholar fred licht has raised doubts regarding traditional title however, noting classical iconographical attributes associated saturn absent painting, , body of smaller figure not resemble of infant. rounded buttocks , wide hips of headless corpse has called question identification of figure male.