WASHINGTON, D.C.- "Goya: Images of Women" is the first major exhibition dedicated to an examination of the representation of women by Francisco Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828), one of Spain's most celebrated painters and an internationally influential printmaker of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His imagery of the multifaceted world of women is unmatched by any artist of his time--and perhaps of any time. On view in the National Gallery of Art's West Building from 10 March through 2 June 2002, the exhibition presents 115 paintings, drawings, prints, tapestry cartoons, and tapestries--some of which have never traveled to the U.S.--that span the artist's career from his arrival at the court of Madrid to his last years in Bordeaux.

 

The exhibition is organized by the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado, on the occasion of their 20th anniversary; the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, where it was on view 30 October 2001 through 9 February 2002; and the National Gallery of Art, Washington. It is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

"Encompassing paintings on canvas, drawings, etchings, lithographs, and miniatures on ivory, the works in the exhibition remind us of the awesome creative vitality of the artist and the generosity of the many lenders willing to share their treasures with a wider audience," said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art. "We are grateful to the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation and General Dynamics for their sponsorship of this exclusive showing of Goya's images of women in the United States." The exhibition is made possible by generous support from the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation and General Dynamics/General Dynamics Santa Barbara Sistemas.



"We are pleased to be part of bringing the wonder and power of Goya's artwork to the American public," said Catherine B. Reynolds, chairman of the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation, co-sponsor of the exhibition. "Superlative art, like a good education, is timeless, and this exhibition provides an opportunity for the community to enjoy and experience some of Goya's rarely-lent paintings in the extraordinary surroundings of the National Gallery of Art."



"We are proud to help bring this magnificent collection of Goya's portraits to the United States," said General Dynamics chairman and CEO Nicholas D. Chabraja. "Through our co-sponsorship of this exhibition, we celebrate our friendship with the Spanish government and the people of Spain. We hope that visitors from all around the world will enjoy looking at these beautiful works."