Hunting Dogs (Perros y útiles de caza) Francisco de Goya Buy Art Prints Now
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Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on October 14, 2023
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Hunting Dogs (Perros y útiles de caza) was among Goya's initial cartoons when he reached Madrid and began his productive relationship with Santa Bárbara's Royal Tapestry Factory in 1775. Like other cartoons, this painting was created and study to be used after centuries.

The board would serve as a model for a wall-hanging intended to decorate the Asturias Princes' dining space in the San Lorenzo de El Escorial palace. This painting was part of a chain of five whose generic theme was hunting. It must be noted that the intelligence of Goya is somewhat undermined in this initial show. This is because it was cautiously directed by the brother-in-law called Francisco Bayeu. This makes Bayeu's style valued in this part; sometimes, it makes people confuse the two artists' works.

The Hunting Dogs Perros y útiles de caza oil painting is currently in the National Museum of the Prado located in Madrid. This work lacks the style that will illustrate later prints, like The El Cacharrero or Brawl in Venta Nueva. The painter resorted to a low-slung standpoint, putting the dogs on a mount, creating a pyramid to Mengs' liking, the creative dictator of the instant. The faultlessness with which he paints animals is noteworthy, particularly the dogs who will act in various cartoons. The shadows of the trees and skies prelude to the future scenes, using the greenish and bluish colour, which is frequent in the master.

The elongated format of Hunting Dogs Perros y útiles de caza is because of its use as a gateway to the noble heirs' dining area in the monastery of El Escorial. Hunting, the much-loved pastime of the king and the prince, was selected for this spot because these events took place there. The series was created and Hunting with Claim and Dogs and Hunting Tools, of paintings like Hunting party, Hunter loading his shotgun, the hunter with his dogs, and the cane fisherman. The influence of Mengs and Bayeu is evident in this canvas. Compatriot Bayeu and his brother-in-law manage it with care, and he is inhibited, and the works of both masters may be confused. The Hunting Dogs Perros y útiles de caza painting has shortages of other cartoons' traditional elegance, like La rebat en la venta Nueva or El cacharrero. Goya's ability to portray the creatures he will denote numerous times during his lifetime is very significant and not just in cartoons.