Goya’s Hermitage: an ode to the majo
Tucked away beneath the palace by the Manzanares River, the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida stands as a testament to Francisco de Goya’s artistic genius – a place where 18th-century Madrid comes to life and where the artist himself finds his final rest. Goya’s frescoes transform the sacred dome into a living canvas, where religious narrative intertwines with the everyday life. Here, the majos and majas – the working-class heroes Goya loved to depict – dance and move alongside the religious figures, breaking the boundaries between the divine and the mundane.
The frescoes are so remarkable that the church created an exact replica next door, weary of the constant stream of art lovers craning their necks to admire Goya’s masterpiece. Visitors can use a strategically placed mirror to study the intricate details without straining, a small but thoughtful touch that makes Goya’s world more accessible.
The Artist’s Final Resting Place
Within these walls, Goya’s mortal remains find their home – though not entirely. While his body rests in the hermitage, his head remains lost, possibly left behind in exile in Bordeaux, France. This fragmented burial seems almost symbolic of Goya’s own fractured artistic journey – a man whose vision was sometimes ahead of his time, whose work bridged artistic periods, and who witnessed some of the most turbulent moments in Spanish history.
From Light to Darkness: Goya’s Artistic Evolution
The hermitage’s frescoes represent Goya’s earlier, more hopeful artistic period. Before the Peninsular War, his work celebrated the vitality of Madrid’s streets, capturing the spirit of the majos and majas with a sense of joy and social observation. But those familiar with Goya’s later work know the profound transformation that would follow.
The Black Paintings – a series of deeply dark, psychologically intense works painted directly on the walls of his home (destroyed to make way for an electric substation in residential Puerta del Angel) – stand in stark contrast to the vibrant frescoes of San Antonio de la Florida. Created during a period of personal crisis and national trauma, these works reveal a Goya haunted by the violence he witnessed during the Dos de Mayo Uprisings and subsequent Peninsular War, his optimism replaced by a more complex, darker vision of humanity.
Beyond the Canvas
Goya’s legacy extends far beyond these walls. He was an artist who captured the spirit of his time – its beauty and its brutality. The hermitage is just one moment of his artistic journey, a place where viewers can glimpse the earlier more optimistic years of one of Spain’s most important painters.
Want to know more about Madrid’s history, then why not book me in for a tour of the city. Get in touch to discuss dates and prices.
