F rancisco de Goya —1746* 1828† | was a painter of truth – even where it hurts. Hardly any artist has so uncompromisingly revealed the abysses of human nature. His art begins in the light of the Enlightenment and ends in the shadow of modernity. As a court painter, Goya initially moved in circles of power. He portrayed kings, nobles, and dignitaries with technical brilliance, yet without idealization. Behind the representative facades, there is always a quiet unease. Goya shows authority but exposes its fragility. A serious illness that left him deaf fundamentally changed his work. After that, his gaze turned inward – and to the dark sides of society. War, violence, superstition, and madness became central themes. In the “Disasters of War” and the Black Paintings, every illusion vanishes. Man appears driven, vulnerable, often cruel. Goya neither explains nor embellishes anything. His paintings seem like visions, sometimes like nightmares, yet remain terrifyingly real. They confront the viewer with a world where reason is fragile and morality is not a given. Francisco de Goya stands on the threshold of modernity. He shows that art does not have to comfort to have meaning. And that truthfulness sometimes lies in not avoiding the darkness.