Francisco de Goya. Chronos Devouring One of His Children.c. 1820-22. Wall painting in oil on plaster (since detached and transferred to canvas), 57 7/8 X 32 5/8". Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Pablo Picasso. Seated Woman Holding a Fan. 1908. Oil on canvas, 59 X 39 3/8". State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.
What is art? This question does not have a definitive answer. Some gauge art on beauty. Some measure it by skill. Some insist it's form must outweigh function. The debate will continue and critiques will vary. People will not always agree on what is good art, or even art at all. Goya and Picasso challenged notions of what art should be during their time. Neither of the works depict "beauty" per say. Some even argue Picasso's show little skill involved. Nonetheless both Chronos Devouring One of His Children and Seated Woman Holding a Fan are both recognizable works of art.
Francisco de Goya's pessimistic nature is prevalent in his painting titled Chronos Devouring One of His Children. There is a very raw power exuded from this painting. From the body language and facial expression to the sharp red against the predominantly neutral color palette, one senses vexation in the work. Even the simple black background works with the piece to set emphasis on the disturbing subject matter.
There is no doubt Picasso had skills. By the age of fifteen he had completed startlingly life-like images. But that is not what he is most famous for. He is much better known for his abstract works such as Seated Woman Holding a Fan. In this painting, sharp angles and geometric curves are repeated throughout the work, continuing from the main subject to the background. Even the color palette is has a more primitive feel. But this style was very new and different and not so readily accepted.
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