Passions around «Colossus» rage: Goya or did not?
ARTinvestment.RU   27 июня 2008

Paintings «Colossus», regarded as the creation of Goya, has a brush of his assistant

The author of the famous painting «Colossus», considered as over several centuries of Spanish artist turn XVIII - XIX centuries Francisco José Goya, was, according to museum staff Prado in Madrid, his little-known assistant to Asensio Juli, a well-known fact that worked together with Francisco Goyey on frescoes Madrid Church of San Antonio de Florida.

In particular, the curator of the department of art of XIX century museum Prado Jose Luis sharp believes that the benefits of ownership Asensio Juli reveal not only the initials (AJ), listed on the reverse side of the canvas, but also null for the Goya painting style. We know that assistants in his studio Goya served copies of the artist's works (especially the often copied portraits of members of the royal family). At work, attribute previously Asensio Juli, is a signature - initials «AJ», which is very similar to the inscription on the reverse side pictures «Colossus».

In turn, British art, especially art historian Nigel Glendinning, tend to believe that these initials are nothing other than roman numerals «XVIII», indicate the inventory number in the list of paintings by Goya. Moreover, the number in the number of pictures «giant» (perhaps this is another name «Colossus») in the inventory of 1812.

Remember that scandal of the famous painting began in April this year , where the canvas «Colossus», stored in the Madrid Museum of the past 80 years, has been excluded from the catalog of the exhibition devoted to the war the Spaniards against the French invaders. And experts said that the question of its authenticity.

picture of the French poet Charles Baudelaire called the «terrible truth», written around 1808. It was then that the army of Napoleon Bonaparte invaded the Iberian Peninsula and the horrors of war hit the Spaniards, who have not taken French placeman on his royal throne.

As far as the validity of authorship version Asensio Juli, will become clear after the publication of the study, José Luis sharp on the attribution of the painting «Colossus». Representatives of the Prado museum promises that the paper is sharp, which will be given proof of his point of view, appears in the annual collection of scientific papers reporting the main Madrid museum.

Anna Savitskaya

Source : www.lenta.ru , www.guardian.co.uk , artinvestment.ru