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The Parasol

Oil on canvas (1777) by Francisco Goya, a tapestry cartoon depicting a young woman in a garden shaded by a parasol held by a young man. Elegant Rococo composition in Goya's early period. Held at the Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Scholarly Significance

Goya's early career in full color; tapestry cartoon for the Royal Family showing Rococo elegance before his dark turn.

Notes

  • ·Part of the series of tapestry cartoons Goya painted for the apartments of the Prince and Princess of Asturias in El Escorial.
  • ·The sunny, festive scene contrasts sharply with Goya's later Saturn Devouring His Son (c.1819–1823) and the Black Paintings.
  • ·Goya worked on tapestry cartoons 1775–1792; this is among the most celebrated.
  • ·The woman in maja-style dress and the young man with a parasol exemplify late 18th-century Spanish popular culture.
  • ·Transferred to the Prado from royal collections.