Men Reading facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Men Reading |
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| Spanish: Hombres leyendo | |
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| Artist | Francisco Goya |
| Year | c. 1820–1823 |
| Medium | Oil on gesso transferred to linen |
| Dimensions | 125.3 cm × 65.2 cm (49.3 in × 25.7 in) |
| Location | Museo del Prado, Madrid |
Men Reading (also known as The Reading or Politicians) is a famous painting by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya. He likely finished it between 1820 and 1823. This artwork is one of Goya's 14 Black Paintings.
Goya painted these Black Paintings late in his life. He was living alone and felt sad and upset about the way Spain was changing. He painted these dark and emotional pictures directly onto the walls of his house, called the Quinta del Sordo (which means House of the Deaf Man), near Madrid.
Later, in 1873–74, these wall paintings were carefully moved from the walls onto canvas. This was done by Salvador Martínez Cubells, who worked at the Museo del Prado museum. The owner, Baron Emile d'Erlanger, gave the painting to the Spanish government in 1881. Today, you can see Men Reading and the other Black Paintings at the Prado Museum in Madrid.
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What Does the Painting Show?
Men Reading shows a group of six men gathered closely together. They are looking at a piece of paper held by a man sitting in the middle. We don't know for sure, but many people think these men are politicians. They might be reading and talking about a newspaper article that is about them.
Goya probably placed this painting on a smaller wall on the first floor of his house. It was next to another painting called Women Laughing. Across from it were The Dog and Two Old Men Eating Soup.
Hidden Secrets: What X-rays Revealed
When experts used X-rays to look at Men Reading, they found something amazing! Goya changed the painting a lot before he finished it. At one point, the background showed a landscape with a person riding a horse.
Also, the main figure in the middle, who is wearing white, once had large horns or maybe even bird wings coming from his head! Art historian Carmen Garrido studied the X-rays. She found that Goya had painted over some parts, changing his mind as he worked.
Similar Paintings by Goya
Men Reading shares some interesting features with another painting from the Black Paintings series, called Women Laughing. Both paintings are taller than they are wide, unlike many other paintings in the series. They are also smaller in size compared to the other Black Paintings.
While all the Black Paintings are quite dark, these two are a little less gloomy in their themes. However, they still use dark colors. Both paintings also show light coming from the same direction: the top left side of the picture.
See also
- List of works by Francisco Goya
- In Spanish: Hombres leyendo para niños
