- Cronología
- 1797
- Ubicación
- Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain
- Dimensiones
- 83 x 65 cm
- Técnica y soporte
- Oil on canvas
- Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
- Documented work
- Titular
- Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts
- Ficha: realización/revisión
- 21 Feb 2010 / 15 Jun 2023
- Inventario
- (82/10)
Goya. A su Amigo Marn. Zapater. 1797 ("Goya. To his Friend Martín Zapater. 1797", bottom of canvas)
This work was bequeathed by Martín Zapater to his grand-nephew, Francisco Zapater y Gómez. At the beginning of the 20th century it belonged to the Durant-Ruel collection, in Paris, and was acquired for the collection of Ramón Sota y Aburto, Bilbao, from where it was donated to the current owner in 1980.
This slightly longer than bust portrait depicts the sitter in half profile, before a greenish grey neutral background. He is wearing a dark-brown, double-breasted velvet dress coat with wide lapels, beneath which we can see a white shirt and a neck tie. His face is that of a mature man, in good health and of friendly disposition. Some of his features are very marked, such as the rounded chin, prominent nose, deep-set eyes, thick eyebrows and broad forehead.
This is a simple, intimate portrait, in which Goya represents his best friend with boldness and complete freedom, recalling pre-Romantic models common to English painting, which the artist would have been familiar with.
Although some writers (e.g. Desparmet Fitz-Gerald) have speculated about the possibility that the canvas was originally rectangular, it is more likely that it was oval shaped from the outset.
For additional biographical information, see Portrait of Martín Zapater y Clavería.
Restored in 1981.
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Pabellón de Aragón de la Exposición Universal de SevillaExposición Universal de SevillaSevilla1992consultant editor Federico Torralba Soriano.
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Goya. La década de Los CaprichosMadrid1992organized by Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando sponsored by Fundación Central Hispano, Madrid, consultant editor Nigel Glendinnig. From October 26th 1992 to January 10th 1993cat. 47
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GoyaNationalmuseumStockholm1994consultant editors Juan J. Luna and Görel Cavalli-Björkman. From October 7th 1994 to January 8th 1995cat. 19
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Francisco de Goya: Maleri, Tegning, GrafikkNasjonalgallerietOslo1996from 10th to April 14th 1996cat. 16
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Realidad e imagen. Goya 1746 – 1828Museo de ZaragozaZaragoza1996consultant editor Federico Torralba Soriano. From October 3th to December 1st 1996cat. 35
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GoyaGalleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica di Palazzo BarberiniRoma2000consultant editors Lorenza Mochi Onori and Claudio Strinati. From March 18th to June 18th 2000
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Bilbao a Genova. La cultura cambia le cittáPalazzo DucaleGenova2003from October 19th 2003 to January 11th 2004cat. 18
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Goya en tiempos de guerraMuseo Nacional del PradoMadrid2008consultant editor Manuela B. Mena Marqués, from April 14th to July 13th 2008cat. 13
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De Goya a GauguinMuseo de Bellas Artes de BilbaoBilbao2008from June 16th to September 28th 2008cat. 1
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Goya: The PortraitsLondon2015cat. 37
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Zaragoza2017cat. 82
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GoyaBasle2021p. 133
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Vie et ouvre de Francisco de GoyaParísOffice du livre1970p. 188, cat. 668
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BarcelonaPolígrafa1970vol. I, pp. 305 y 306, cat. 403
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Goya y Aragón. Familia, amistades y encargos artísticoscol. Col. Mariano de Pano y RuataZaragozaCaja de Ahorros de la Inmaculada de Aragón1995pp. 168-169
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Realidad e imagen. Goya 1746 – 1828MadridGobierno de Aragón y Electa España1996pp. 116 y 117 (il.), cat. 35
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Goya en tiempos de guerraMadridMuseo Nacional del Prado2008pp. 154 y 155 (il.), cat. 13