Not mine! One painting I would not wish to own.

This is a painting by Francisco Goya of Madrid between 1820 – 1823. It has been given the title “Saturn devouring his son”. It is thought therefore to be based on the Roman myth (originally from the Greek with Cronus as the subject) whereby Terra foretold that Saturn would be overthrown by one of his sons, just he himself had overthrown his father, Gaelus (Uranus in the Greek). So, to prevent this, the myth has it that on their birth, Saturn devoured each of his children. His wife Ops eventually hid his sixth child and third son, Jupiter (Zeus), on the island of Crete, deceiving Saturn by offering a stone wrapped in swaddling in his place. Jupiter eventually supplanted his father just as the prophecy had predicted.

However, what is interesting about this painting, is that Goya painted it on the wall of the dining room in his home. It was one of six such dark paintings in his home in the latter years of his life and only found and named by others after Goya’s death.

I can’t help but think that Goya never intended for the painting to be displayed for consumption by others. Why have it on a wall? He never named it; never dated it; never signed it. It portrays more of a personal inner turmoil than any outward intent.

Others interpreted it as based on the Roman/Greek myth. But what if it had nothing to do with that?

It was painted in a time of war – and the Spanish Inquisition. A time when the young were being sacrificed on the battle fields of Europe. A time when only those being left were the aged. The older generation was making the decisions that ended up destroying the lives of the young.

Or is it more representative of the fear many have as they age of the world being overtaken by the young – that we see youth as a threat to be contained rather than a blessing to be rejoiced? 

The painting is one of utter despair. When such despair portrays such a dark relationship between a father and a son, I cannot but compare it to the Father of Christ who, though He sacrificed his Son for us, Christ was raised from death to live with His Father in glory.

So, not a painting I would like hung in my dining room!