A chilling stance. Dark shades revealing the bleakness of the subject. Francisco Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son is grotesque like no other.
According to Roman legend, a son of Saturn will conquer the titan, much as Saturn had once overthrown his own father. Saturn devoured his children to prevent the prophecy from coming true. His youngest son Jupiter, with the help of his mother, manages to avoid terrible tragedy and goes on to fulfill the prophecy.
An unsettling tale indeed, where a father not only commits infanticide but also consumes his own offspring. This myth has become inspiration for numerous artists through the ages, but what makes Goya’s depiction especially haunting?
Unlike the muscular, perfectly proportioned depictions of men from Roman myths we are used to seeing, here we are met with a somewhat twisted, unhinged figure with limbs that don’t quite fit and a demeanor that exudes an animalistic character rather than a human one. His hair appears disheveled and untamed; his body completely unclothed; his hands, resembling claws, tightly clutching the child’s body, mimicking a predator devouring its helpless prey. The most prominent feature, though, may be seen in his gaze. A glaring, deranged expression that appears utterly uncontrollable, accompanied by a wide, gaping mouth resembling a cavernous void. When peering into his eyes, one cannot help but suspect the absence of a soul.
Goya’s Saturn embodies lack of control. Perhaps his work is meant to elicit some of our deepest and most perturbing fears. The picture depicts dehumanization, vulnerability, cannibalism, and murder. It depicts a psychotic man engulfed by fury, entirely oblivious to his own body, resembling a deranged being suffering from a hysterical episode. These elements converge in a somber depiction that is bound to evoke nightmares for many who view it.
Goya’s life was not an easy one. After losing his hearing in 1792 and surviving life-threatening diseases, he had genuine worries about his mental stability. During this time he moved into a house in Madrid referred to as Villa of the Deaf man (although not named after him). During his stay, Goya painted a group of 14 pieces on the walls that are now known as the Black Paintings, including the notorious Saturn. These were only for him; he never meant for people to see them. During the making of these, he also grew increasingly resentful of the political situation of Spain.
Historians have many theories about his intentions for creating this painting. Some view it as a metaphor for Spain’s political environment, while others say it illustrates Goya’s connection to his own children and the guilt he feels over them dying young while he grows old. Whatever Goya’s intentions may have been though, he has managed to create a work that the world identifies with the fear of loss of humanity.
On the other hand, even after saying all this I sometimes see Saturn in a different light. I see sorrow in his eyes. Saturn almost looks like he is startled by a stranger having ambushed him while carrying out his heinous act. Almost like he himself knows and fears the ghastly beast he has become in devouring his child in his effort to stop the prophecy. But hey that’s just me.