To paint my dream . . .

A Happy Birthday salute to the artists Francisco Goya and Vincent van Gogh.

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (March 30, 1746 – April 16, 1828), painter and printmaker.

"Goya was a Spanish court painter whose best work was done apart from his official duties. He is known for his scenes of violence, especially those prompted by the French invasion of Spain. The series of etchings 'The Disasters of War, 1810-14', records the horrors of the Napoleonic invasion. His masterpieces in painting include 'The Naked Maja' and 'The Clothed Maja' (c. 1800-05). He also painted charming portraits such as 'Senora Sabasa Garcia'.

For the bold technique of his paintings, the haunting satire of his etchings, and his belief that the artist's vision is more important than tradition, Goya is often called 'the first of the moderns.' His uncompromising portrayal of his times marks the beginning of 19th-century realism." direct quote source (1)

“Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible monsters; united with it, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels.” - Francisco de Goya

La familia de Carlos IV (1800-1801)Franciso de Goya
Museo del Prado

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Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890), Post-Impressionist artist.

To many art afficionados, Vincent van Gogh is considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt; however, he had little success during his lifetime and sold only one painting, Red Vineyard at Arles. In a period of ten years Vincent van Gogh produced some 900 paintings and 1100 drawings before he succumbed to mental illness and committed suicide. His fame grew rapidly after his death especially following a showing of 71 of Vincent van Gogh's paintings in Paris on March 17, 1901 (11 years after his death).

Several paintings by Vincent van Gogh rank among the most expensive paintings in the world. On March 30, 1987 Vincent van Gogh's painting Irises was sold for a record $53.9 million at Southeby's, New York. On May 15, 1990 his Portrait of Doctor Gachet was sold for $82.5 million at Christie's, thus establishing a new price record.

"I experience a period of frightening clarity in those moments when nature is so beautiful. I am no longer sure of myself, and the paintings appear as in a dream." - Vincent Van Gogh

"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream." - Vincent Van Gogh

"If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." - Vincent Van Gogh

The Red Vineyard, 1888
Vincent van Gogh
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
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Goya Self-Portrait Image (1), Goya Painting (1)

Van Gogh Self-Portrait Image (1), Van Gogh Painting (1)