Goya's House

I love all artists but one of my very favorites is the Spanish Painter Francisco Goya. An old friend still reminds me of the time when I was 20 and hung Goya's Black Paintings all over my house. "Remember the one where the Old Man is eating his kids?" Of course I still remember it, nobody forgets that one. Or the dog peeping his head out over the abyss into nothingness. Goya painted some of his morose paintings right on the walls of the dining room in his house. Tapas, Sangria, and Saturn with his son's head stuck between his teeth. Images to dine by.

Francisco Goya
b. Mar. 30, 1746 11:30 Fuendetodos, Spain

Sun 10 Aries, Moon 13 Cancer, ASC 19 Cancer, MC 0 Aries NN 24 Pisces

Goya's Sun and MC are appropriate for a Court Painter. He has a stellium of Sun conjunct the inner planets Mercury, Venus and Mars in Aries and in the 10th House of Royalty. Also, his Midheaven is at the Aries Point bringing him before the Public during his lifetime. Mars disposits both the Sun and MC and is dispositor of the chart in its own sign and in House 10.

This stellium is involved in a major Cardinal t-square. It's opposite Saturn in Libra, H4. This opposition squares his Rising-Moon-Neptune in Cancer. Goya is probably known in Psychology as the first totally crazy artist in history but he is known in Art History as the Turning Point painter to express the old Classical School (naturalism, order, intellectual enlightenment, humanism) and the beginnings of the Modern School (abstraction, emotionalism, unreality, spirituality). The extreme emphasis of Cardinal Signs shows this ability to create a whole new beginning. He expressed his feelings and his thoughts and questioned authority and compassion for lost souls. I guess the Aries Point MC really helps to brings this out in high relief. The empty leg of this t-square will show the point that he will find some resolution for the problems indicated by the t-square. Goya's Descendant is Capricorn. Descendant shows a person's one-on-one partnership, like marriage, one's open enemies, and one's business clients (according to Bob Marks). (This is essential for understanding why Goya painted that crap on his dining room walls and I'm not saying what that is quite yet). Also, that whole combination of Aries and Cancer signs and planets can make a person emotionally volatile. It's interesting to note that Western Art's other extremely emotional artist, Vincent Van Gogh not only shared the same birthday with Goya, but also had a Cancer Ascendant (Sagittarius Moon).

The dichotomy between Goya's Court Portraiture (MC) and his own choice of subject matter (ASC) becomes obvious. Saturn rules his Descendant so he managed to attract Royalty for clients. He is described as having "gotten away" with portraying his Royal Guests in a very realistic but unflattering way. He has no planets in the 7th house, just austere Capricorn on the cusp. The King was his client. (Marie Antoinette also had Cap on the Desc and on the 8th house, overloading the courtly "love") .

Goya's personal picks for subject matter is much different from Court Portraiture. They seem to reflect his Ascendant aspects more than his Midheaven. He began early in his career by painting light paintings of Circus scenes (Sun, Leo, Venus, Uranus rule Circus which corresponds more with his MC planets) and descended into really grotesque social satires and grotesques on the faults of human nature. He is best known for his paintings his clothed and naked "Maja" (Moon), his paintings (and etchings) of the horrors of War such as "Los Caprichos" and "The Third of May" which shows a prisoner (Neptune) surrendering (Neptune) to a firing squad (Mars, Neptune). I remember him best for his Portrait of the Duchess of Alba (she definitely reflects the Aries 10th house stellium) which he is said to have been rejected by romantically. She looks very firey. He paints her pointing to a spot on the ground where is written "Solo Goya." That reflects his Aries-Libra MC/IC line, relationship hell with authority figures.

Goya's health is thought to have influenced much of his macabre choice of subject matter. Jupiter in Sagittarius is conjunct his 6th House cusp. In 1792 he suffered a High Fever (how Aries) which left him Deaf (Aries Sun-Mercury opposite Saturn, deafness). He spent 5 years recovering and is said to have had trouble with his balance (Saturn in Libra for sure) and to have been Delusional (Moon-Neptune-ASC squaring the opposition). He had both a physical and a mental breakdown. Neptune was passing over his natal Jupiter-6th house cusp. They're still trying to diagnose his illness.

Goya was appointed Court Painter in 1799 around the time that he was having a Return of his Progressed Moon return on the ASC. Jupiter would have joined Moon so describing a great public achievement.

He lived at court, flirted with the Duchess, and enjoyed a great life. Then his wife, Josefa, died in 1812. His life sort of fell apart. He took up with the housekeeper who had an illegitimate daughter that everyone assumed was Goya's. (Transiting Pluto in H7). The King got mad (SA Uranus c. n. Aries Sun) about his lack of concern for what others thought. And in 1814 Goya moved his tiny, antisocial family to a house near Manzanares (wherever that is). This is where Goya painted the "Black Paintings." He called the House "Quinta del Sordo" which means "House of the Deaf Man." His natal Saturn is in his 4th House and Saturn rules both Blackness and Deafness. In 1814 his progressed Moon and transiting Saturn filled out the empty leg of his t-square and transited his 7th house. His progressed Sun and Solar Arc Venus were conjunct his 12th house cusp (SA Mercury was ahead by a couple of degrees). 12th house rules seclusion. This is where he withdrew to to get away from the Court which he could no longer kiss up to.

Goya moved to France after a while, then back to Spain, and I believe died after returning to France. Saturn would have joined the ASC at this point and t. Pluto was approaching conjunction with his Aries stellium. His prog. Moon was in his 12th house.