User:Littlecometsburning8/Truth, Time and History

Truth, Time and History
Artist	Francisco de Goya
Year	1804–1808
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	294 cm × 244 cm (116 in × 96 in)
Location	Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Truth, Time and History (Spanish: La Verdad, el Tiempo y la Historia) It is an oil on canvas painting by the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya. The painting has also been alternatively titled Spain, Time, and History and Allegory of the Constitution of 1812. Depending on which title and analysis is applied to the painting, the date of its creation ranges widely from 1997 to 1812, though it is most commonly dated from 1804 to 1808. It is currently exhibited at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.

The painting is often thought to have been commissioned in conjunction with a second piece titled Poetry (Spanish: la Poesia) for Manuel Godoy. Godoy was the First Secretary of State of Spain at the time, and many believe the paintings decorated his palace in Madrid. Goya completed many commissioned art pieces and portraits for upper class figures during his “mature years” (1793-1819).

Description

History sits on a rock nude in the front center of the painting, holding a white quill with an open book in her lap. Wrapped around her waist is a green cloth, and at her feet, another book lies open.

Time is a figure behind History to the right. He is an elderly, bearded man that is holding an hourglass. His face looks upward so that most of the details of his features are obscured from view. Time has large, white wings that extend outward, off the canvas on the right and on the left, behind the body of the third figure, who he grips by the arm.

There are conflicting interpretations of the identity of the woman dressed in white on the left of the painting. Most often labeled Truth, she faces the viewer with her breasts partially exposed, holding a scepter in her left hand and a gray book in her right.

The background of the painting is light on the left behind Truth and dark on the right side surrounding Time.

Interpretations

Art historian Martin S. Soria titles the painting Spain, Time, and History and claims it’s probable the painting was created around 1797. He asserts the strong influence of Cesare Ripa's Iconologia (first published in 1596 and dubbed, "the Bible in matters emblematic or allegorical") on Goya’s depiction of Time and History as classic allegorical figures. In his interpretation, History's fulfills a classic role, "making men immortal" by recording the actions of humanity, and she looks over her shoulder as a way of symbolizing remembrance of the past as she records them. Goya departs from Ripa's representation of Time (called Saturn by Ripa) because traditionally, History uses Time's back as a desk while recording events. Soria determines that the third figure in the painting represents Spain, who is pulled by Time "into a brighter future" as Time looks upward "imploring assistance from Heaven". Time's hourglass may be political commentary on the urgency of Spain's need to move forward, a foreshadowing of Napoleon's impending occupation of Spain beginning in 1807. It should also be noted that Soria considers Poetry a companion painting to this piece, and he interprets the two in light of each other.

Some are unconvinced by Soria's interpretation of Spain as the third figure because, at the time of the painting's creation, Spain was traditionally represented in a crown with various symbols that would make her easily identifiable. Folke Nordström, art historian, points to symbolism congruent between the third figure and the allegory for Philosophy, as both carry books and a scepter.

Eleanor Sayre, an art historian and Goya curator, dates the painting much later as having been created in 1812. This interpretation stems from evidence that Sayre asserts as proof the painting refers to the Spanish Constitution of 1812 in Spain. It is from her interpretation (and other similar such interpretations) that the title Allegory of the Constitution of 1812 arises. Those who follow this interpretation state that the third figure in the painting is representative of the law. Time's hourglass has just been turned over, "indicating that a new era begins".

Juan Luna, in his description written for the Stockholm National Museum catalog, posits that the standing woman, that holds a book, represents Spain as well as Truth. It could be an allegory of the Spanish Constitution, adopted in 1812 during Spain's liberation from Napoleonic rule, and the twofold symbolism is designed to underscore the legitimacy of the new constitution.

Preliminary Work

Sketch from 1797; red chalk and sanguine wash on laid paper, Prado Museum, Madrid.

Goya made a rough oil sketch between 1797 and 1799, or possibly in 1804. In this version the winged Time holds a nude Truth by the hand, while threatening bats and owls lurk above them. The sketch is in the collection of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Although, no owls or bats ever existed in the final version of the painting and were not painted over.

Another red chalk and wash sketch of the same allegorical figures of Time and Truth in slightly different positions, escaping from dark owls at the lower left hand corner of the sketch, is located in the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain. It has been confirmed that Goya created this sketch to prepare for a series titled Los Caprichos. However, many also associate this sketch with La Verdad, el Tiempo y la Historia (Truth, Time, and History). Martin S. Soria also references this sketch as evidence that Goya did not initially include History in his plans for the painting.

Both of these pieces were found in a small sketchbook that he owned and began working on while in Italy; the sketchbook is now located in the Prado, Madrid.

Sketch about 1797–1799 or 1804, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Provenance

The first reliable record of provenance for this painting is from 1867. Charles Yriarte recorded this painting (and Poetry) as both in the collection of Juan Duncan Shaw, the Austrian consul in Cádiz. Because this is the first notable record of either piece, many consider the two a pair. However, Janis A. Tomlinson, a Goya art historian, writes that "in the absence of other documents, it is not possible to trace their provenance to Godoy’s collection."

After Mr. Shaw's death in 1878, the paintings were passed to his decedents and their provenance until present is as follows:

• 1900: Mr Luis de Navas in Madrid.
• The collection of Charles Deering of Chicago, on display in his residence in Sitges, Barcelona for a time before being moved to Chicago.
• 1927 (Mr. Deering's death): Acquired by the New York company E. & A. Silberman Galleries
• 1961: Acquired by the National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm.

On his death in 1878 they were inherited by his descendents. In 1900 they were located in the collection of Mr Luis de Navas in Madrid, and later belonged to the collection of Charles Deering of Chicago, who had a residence in Sitges (Barcelona) where they could be viewed. They moved to Chicago under the same ownership. When Mr Deering died, they were acquired by the New York company E. and A. Silberman, and in 1961 they were acquired by the National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm.

They (painting + poetry) are first recorded in 1867 at Cadiz - soria

Soria: "it may be suggested that they were painted in 1797 at the nearby Sanlucar de Barrameda for the widowed Duchess of Alba, whom Goya then vistied. This would explain why there is no record of their having been in any building in Madrid"

SpanishWiki says: was found in Cádiz in the mid-19th century, so there is a hypothesis that the painting was commissioned by Sebastián Martínez (who had important libraries in Madrid and Cádiz in 1800) and not from Godoy.

"In addition to these four tondos, Quilliet’s 1808 inventory lists “4 Grandes Allégories” by Goya—paintings that have been tentatively identified with the Allegory of Poetry and Spain, Time, and History (pls. 14, 15).31 The earliest record of these works is Yriarte’s 1867 reference to them in the collection of Mr. Shaw, the Austrian consul in Cádiz; in the absence of other documents, it is not possible to trace their provenance to Godoy’s collection. Yet the recent publication of Sepúlveda’s diary entry for a visit to Godoy’s collection on 28 April 1807 has brought new evidence to light. Whereas in his earlier visit of 1800 the diarist had noted that the ceilings of Godoy’s palace were in a state of disrepair, in 1807 he reports that “the ceilings are painted by Goya and one of his students.”" -- yale