Saturn Devouring His Son: Goya’s Myth and Meaning (1819–1823)
Few paintings stop you cold the way Francisco Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son does. It’s not just a mythological scene—it’s a raw, personal response to illness and political despair, painted directly onto the walls of his villa between 1819 and 1823.
Artist: Francisco Goya · Year: 1819–1823 · Medium: Oil mural transferred to canvas · Dimensions: 143.5 × 81.4 cm · Location: Museo del Prado, Madrid · Series: Black Paintings (14 works)
Quick snapshot
1Confirmed facts
- Painting is by Francisco Goya (1819–1823) (Web Gallery of Art – art history database)
- Part of the Black Paintings series (Wikipedia – collaborative encyclopedia)
- Currently held at Museo del Prado, Madrid (Museo del Prado – official museum)
2What’s unclear
- Exact identity of the son figure (mythological or symbolic) (Britannica – authoritative encyclopedia)
- Goya’s specific intention beyond mythological reference (Artnet News – art market and analysis)
- Whether the painting originally bore a different title (Britannica – authoritative encyclopedia)
3Timeline signal
- Painted 1819–1823 on walls of Quinta del Sordo (Web Gallery of Art – art history database)
4What’s next
- Continued subject of scholarly debate and public fascination (Artnet News – art market and analysis)
Here’s a quick breakdown of the painting’s official details.
