A famed painter in his own lifetime, Francisco de Goya was born on March 30, , in Fuendetodos, Spain. He began his art studies as a teenager and even spent time in Rome, Italy, to advance his skills.
In s, Goya began to work for Spanish royal court. In addition to his commissioned portraits of the nobility, he created works that criticized the social and political problems of his era.
The son of a guilder, Goya spent some of his youth in Saragossa. There he began studying painting around the age of fourteen.
At first, Goya learned by imitation. He sought to further his art education in or by traveling to Italy. In Rome, Goya studied the classic works there. He submitted a painting to a competition held by the Academy of Fine Arts at Parma. While the judges liked his work, he failed to win the top prize. He first painted tapestry cartoons, which were artworks that served as models for woven tapestries, for a factory in Madrid. These works featured scenes from everyday life, such as "The Parasol" and "The Pottery Vendor" In , Goya won an appointment as a painter to the royal court.
He continued to rise in status, receiving admission into the Royal Academy of San Fernando the following year. Goya began to establish a reputation as a portrait artist, winning commissions from many in royal circles. He skillfully captured the tiniest elements of their faces and clothes. In , Goya became completely deaf after suffering from an unknown malady. He started to work on non-commissioned paintings during his recovery, including portraits of women from all walks of life.
