The San Isidro Meadow

This thoroughly charming cityscape painting from Francisco de Goya was completed in 1788. It is now in the collection of the Museo del Prado which offers perhaps the most comprehensive review of this artist's career.

The city that we can see in the background is Madrid itself. In the foreground we find a large number of figures enjoying their leisure time. The outfits suggest a crowd of wealthy individuals, wearing beautiful, elegant dresses and sporting delicate parasols. They have congregated on a meadow on the outskirts of the city, close to the Manzanares River. It is perhaps the panoramic nature of this painting which makes it just so memorable, as well as the extraordinary detail that covers each and every inch of the canvas. To see it in person at the Prado Museum would surely be a true treat, even though other artworks from Goya's career are perhaps more famous.

This design was intended to be a cartoon to be hung in a royal bedroom but this project was abandoned after the death of Carlos III. Goya himself was of course entirely well connected with Spanish high society and so became entirely comfortable in dealing with such prestigious clients on occasion. He would also start to then spread his reputation abroad that drew in interest from neighbouring European nations.

Besides The Meadow of San Isidro, you will also discover a large number of other Goya paintings, covering different styles and periods of his work. The darker themes are well represented here, alongside brighter compositions such as the one in front of us here. There were also a series of cartoons from around a decade earlier than this which sought to highlight the merits of life in the countryside. Whilst being entirely accomplished in depicting scenes of architecture within his paintings, Goya did not display these abilities often enough for it to become amongst his most recognsiable signature. Those who have taken the time to consider his entire oeuvre will of course have become aware of this, though.