GraceHartley

Prof.Bettridge
FreshmanInquiry
WhatisArt?
GoyaandTheSnack
ItstheshockfactorandmacabrenatureofGoyasworkthatintriguedmetoanalyzeit
further.Whileitsfrighteninginthepresentcannibalismandthedeformedfigures,theresalso
thisstrangesympathyforSaturnhiseyesappearfullofpainanddistress.Whatmayoriginally
appearasasimplycomposedshockpiece,becomesverycomplexwhenyouconsiderthe
conflictingemotionsandactionsofSaturn.Thiscontrastbetweenhisemotionsandviolent
actionsemphasizeshisfearbygivingtheaudiencepause,andsomethingtoquestion.Ibelieve
thereisevidenceinthecontrastingcoloring,compositionaldecisions,andotherwiselackof
emotionthatthesubjectisthefearonSaturnsface,anditevokessympathyforevilandcruelty
despitetheaudiencesdesiretodismisshimasavillain.
Whenanalyzing
SaturnDevouringOneofHisChildren
,itisimmediatelyobviousthat
thepaintinghasmanylayersofdarktones.Thebackdropitselfisblack,andtheshadowsareso
intensethattheshapesofthefiguresareobscured,andhardtomakeout.Anyareaswherelight
actuallyhitsareonlysoftlyilluminatedwithmutedcolors.Thethighsofthelargerfigure,for
example,areblurredandutilizerustycolorsandmessybrushstrokesitsnearlyimpossibleto
seethedimensionsofwherethelegsmeet,andoneleglookscompletelydeformedbecauseof
theshadowsandshapes.Thelargerpersoninthepaintingisalsodarklycoloredincomparisonto
thesmaller.Asidefromthefactoneiseatingandtheotherisbeingeaten,thiscreatesfurther

contrastbetweenthetwofiguresinthepainting.Thecolorsandthedissimilaritybetweenthe
figuressetsthetoneforthepieceastenebrous.
Anotherdarkaspectofthepaintingistheemotionaltone.Thereareseveralaspectsthat
cometogethertocreatethiseffectalreadylistedisthecoloring,whichisamoreliteral
contribution,butthereisalsothesituationpresentedinthepainting.Asmentionedearlier,Saturn
appearsafraid,whichconflictswiththeviolentactheiscommittinghissizeandpositioning
suggestheshouldbeinpower.Heisfarlargerthantheotherfigure,andheisgraspingthe
smallerfiguretightlythemusclesinhishandarehighlightedshowinghowtauthisgripis,and
hisfingersarentvisiblebecausetheyareburiedinthefleshofhisvictim.Incomparisontohis
strength,positioning,andsize,thesmallerfigureappearspowerless.Ithasapale,doughyform
andismaybethesizeofSaturnsarm.Andofcourse,ithasnohead.
ClearlySaturnisphysicallyinpowerhere,buthisattitudedoesntcorrelatewiththis.
Despitethefactheisnttheonebeingphysicallyharmed,orevenindangerofbeingharmed,
Saturnappearsafraid.Heisgrippinghischildsopowerfullyobservethehighlightsofhis
musclesinhisarmsandhands,showingtheyaretensingheappearsdesperateinhiscarnage.
Themostevidenceofhisfearcomesfromhisfacialexpressionhiseyesarewide,whichcould
besurprise,buthiseyebrowsaredrawndownattheends,whichisasignofdistress.Withthe
messy,visiblebrushstrokesandtightlinesaroundthemouth,thereisevenmoreemphasisofthe
fearandpainonhisfaceifthebrushstrokeshadbeensmoothandblendedandthemouth
relaxed,thefacewouldhaveappeareddelicateandpeaceful.Allofthesetraitscombineto
conveyfearinspiteofhisviolence.

Focusisthrowntohisfearthroughbasiccompositionaldecisionsandmoresubtle,
powerfulthoughtswithinthework.Firstly,thereisnothinginthebackgrounddistractfromthe
figuresthemselves.Saturnsfaceisalsonotonlyclosetothecenterofthepainting,butin
comparisontothemajorityofthepainting,itishighlightedinwarmercolors.Whatbringsthe
mostattentiontothefearisthatthereisnootherobvioussourceofemotionfortheaudienceto
holdontointhepaintingtheonlyotherfigureiscompletelydehumanized,leavingonlySaturn
fortheaudiencetorelateto.WhileSaturnisexpressiveandstriking,hischildsbackisturnedto
usandhehasnoface.Thislackofidentifiablefeaturesmakesithardtoprojectanykindof
emotionontothechildwhileSaturnprojectsblatantemotionfortheaudiencetoempathizewith,
whichdrawsthefocustothesubject.
Thepresenceoftheemotionitselfisimportantbecauseoftheattentionandinvolvement
itdraws,butthefacttheemotionisfearisimportantaswell.IfSaturnappearedtriumphantor
gleefulorsinisterindisposition,wewoulddismisshimasamonster.Mostaudiencemembers
wouldbeunabletofindanykindofempathyoremotionalconnectionwithanentitythatenjoyed
causingsomuchpainanddestruction,andSaturnwouldbeananimalorevenjustanobjectof
violenceintheeyesoftheaudience.Thefactheisafraidnotonlycreatescontrastwithhis
actionsthatcatchestheattentionoftheviewer,butthedistressathisactionscreatesaconnection
betweenthesubjectandtheviewer,astheviewerismostlikelyrepulsedbycannibalism.
Allofthesecharacteristicscombinetocreateanimageofshockingviolenceandeven
moreshockingempathy.Theempathyisshockingbecauseitwouldbechallengingtoseepast
thebloodandcarnageinthefirstplacetheeyesareimmediatelydrawntothebloodnotonly
becauseofthemeaningattachedtoblood,butbecausethemajorityoftheothercolorsinthe

paintingareneutral.Also,Saturnbeingtheperpetratoroftheviolenceputsupawallbetween
himandtheviewer(forreasonsstatedabove),soitssurprisingtoconsidertheempathythe
viewercouldhaveforhim,anditposesthequestion,howpowerfulisfearthatitcanforceusto
seepastsuchimmediatelyapparentdiabolism?Ofcourse,fearandpainareemotionseveryone
hasexperienced,anditsbecauseofthatsharedexperiencethattheemotioninthepaintingisso
powerful.However,inthemorespecificsense,mostpeoplewillbeabletoempathizewithbeing
afraidandbeingcapableofcausingpain,sowhilethefearappearsasthecardinalconnection
betweentheaudienceandthevillain,itisonlyapartofwhattheyaretrulyempathizingwith.
Basically,theclaimofthepainting(inthisinstance)isthatwecanempathizewiththe
heinoustoacertaindegree.Iagree.Ithinkhumanempathycangofarbecausewearecapableof
suchterriblethings,thatwhenweseesomeonedoingsomethingterriblewerecognizewecould
betheretoo.Also,therearesomanydifferenttypesofpain,hemayjustbeinpainandwewant
tocomfortthat.Thereisthepainofknowingyoucausedpain,whichheappearstobeinand
despitetheguiltandjudgementthatoftengoeswiththeknowledgeofone'scriminality,most
peoplewillstillempathizeonsomelevelbecauseonsomeleveltheyhavealsobeeninthesame
situationtheyhavealsocausedpaintoothersandconsequentlythemselves.