Two Old Ones Eating Soup

Two Old Ones Eating Soup is loosely dated at around 1820-1823 as little documentation is available at this time in Goya's career. It can be found in the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain.

Goya produced a series of murals within his own home which were then transferred to canvas after his death so that they could be taken elsewhere and displayed for everyone to see. He did not intend for the public to see these works so they were really personal items that were created purely from choice rather than completing a commission.

For a good part of his career Goya worked in a very dark style which became, for many, his signature approach. In truth, his oeuvre was much more varied than this and took in all manner of different influences across the many decades. It would be the frightening images that perhaps became most memorable of all, and even his portraits in this style would paint a picture of fear and misery. In the example of Two Old Ones Eating Soup, the content should be entirely normal but the lighting and facial expressions give this potentially simple piece a somewhat sinister edge. You will find much the same with a similar piece from his career, titled Two Old Men.

Head to Madrid to see this painting in person, with it currently under the ownership of the Prado Museum. This incredible venue features many of Goya's most famous paintings as well as a good summary of other notable Spanish artists from previous centuries. Additionally, you can also see the likes of Bosch and El Greco here as well, making it very much a must see for art history fans living within the vicinity of the Spanish capital. Much of their collection was originally displayed in the National Palace but its location today in the centre of the city allows many more people to enjoy and understand the qualities of artists such as Goya. It is probably the finest collections in all of Spain and ranks competitively with others across the western world.