Don Francisco de Goya: Život među torerima i kraljevima

"Don Francisco de Goya" by Manfred Schneider is a biographical and art-historical work dedicated to the life and work of Francisco de Goya, one of the most important European painters of the transition from the 18th to the 19th century. The Croatian edition was published in 1943 as part of the famous library "Suvremena biblioteka", which brought important works from the fields of literature, history, art and culture to domestic readers.

The author follows Goya's life path from his youthful artistic beginnings and rise at the Spanish royal court to his mature and most famous works. Special attention is paid to the period of great political and social changes in Spain, including the Napoleonic Wars, the events of which strongly influenced Goya's work. Schneider portrays the artist as an exceptional observer of human nature, social injustices and historical tragedies.

The book analyzes the most important phases of Goya's artistic development, from court portraits and tapestries to dark and expressive works created in the later period of his life. Of particular note are his graphic works and cycles that critically portray war, violence, superstition and social weaknesses.

As an antiquarian edition from the war year of 1943, this book represents a valuable example of Croatian cultural and publishing production of that time. At the same time, it is an accessible introduction to the life and art of Francisco Goya and an interesting document of the way in which European artistic heritage was presented to Croatian readers in the mid-20th century.