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Primary sourcePaintingca. 1796

Self-Portrait

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes · ca. 1796

A drawn self-portrait by Goya from around 1796, showing his wild hair and intense gaze during a period of serious illness.

Goya drew this self-portrait himself around 1796, making it a direct record of his own appearance and self-image.

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Pencil or chalk drawing of a man's head and upper chest on pale paper. He has wild, curly dark hair, a furrowed brow, and a stern, direct gaze. A cravat and jacket collar are visible, with a small emblem near the chest. A number 1 is in the top right corner.
Francisco Goya, Self-Portrait, ca. 1796. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This is a drawing by Francisco Goya made with brush and carbon black ink around 1796. It shows his head and upper chest, drawn on pale paper. The drawing is kept at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Goya made this self-portrait around the time he suffered a serious illness. It is a key source for what he looked like and how he saw himself, giving historians a direct, personal image made by the artist's own hand rather than by someone else.

Look closer

  • What does Goya's expression and posture suggest about his state of mind at the time?
  • Why might an artist choose to draw himself rather than ask someone else to do it?
  • What details (hair, collar, emblem) stand out, and what might they tell us about him?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Francisco Goya on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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