Saturn Devouring His Son: All about the painting

The artwork ‘Saturn Devouring His Son’ by the famous Spanish artist Francisco Goya is considered one of the greatest paintings of the 19th century. The artist had created a group of fourteen paintings, which have been since christened ‘The Black Paintings.’ Goya had made these paintings on the walls to decorate his home, which was just outside Madrid. Out of these 14 paintings, the one titled ‘Saturn Devouring His Son’ remains one of the most unforgettable one.

Goya, who is said to be suffering from bouts of depression since the age of 46, created these murals and painted them directly on the walls of his home. These set of 14 paintings were not supposed to be for public consumption as they seem to be reflecting his struggles with depression and the troubled times in Spain. He did not name any of the 14 paintings and they were later transferred to the canvas from the walls almost 50 years after they were first painted.

What is the story behind Goya’s Saturn Devouring his Son The history painting by Francisco Goya revisits the Roman myth that the titan Saturn, who is a god of time, believed this his own son would dethrone him, just like he did with father Caleus. In order to prevent that occurrence, Saturn ate each of his sons, moments after their birth. As per the legends, his wife hid the sixth son Jupiter, who eventually went on to claim Saturn’s throne.

In the painting, Goya has illustrated a naked man with dishevelled hair and wide-eyed stare, who has already eaten the head of his child. The haunting work of art truly captures the frenzied and psychotic state of mind of Saturn, as he proceeds to devour his own son.

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