Who Was the Original Master of Gore?
This Spanish painter’s later works were extremely dark
Vincent Price, US film actor (1911–1993)
Photo: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy
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When you think of masters of horror and gore, who comes to mind? Vincent Price, actor in horror classics like House of Wax? Frankenstein author Mary Shelley? Others might say director John Carpenter, known for The Thing and Halloween.
Mary Shelley, 1831, Samuel John Stump. @ National Portrait Gallery, London
Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter in Halloween (1978)
Photo: : Falcon International / Album
Or what about… Francisco Goya?
Self-Portrait, 1815, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes. © Museo Nacional del Prado
Goya was Spain’s leading painter at the turn of the 19th century, but despite his successes, he had a lot of trauma. War, political suppression, and physical and mental illness were some of the bad cards he was dealt. These challenges took their toll on the artist, beginning in the 1790s.
The anger and sadness he felt led to his Black Paintings, a series of 14 works painted on the walls of his home that depicted a variety of disturbing scenes.
Witches Sabbath, or the Great He-Goat, 1820–1823, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes
But Mel Casas, as part of her October video series, Macabre Minute, took a closer look at some of Goya’s later works, including Bullfight, Suerte de Varas and a detailed drawing that depicted an impoverished man sitting on the street with a basket. It turned out that there was a method to Goya’s madness.
Bullfight, Suerte de Varas, 1824, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes. Bullfight, Suerte de Varas. Getty Museum
Goya’s late bullfighting images, like Bullfight, Suerte de Varas, appear gory at first glance, but a closer look reveals the bull’s dignified composure amid chaos, reflecting nobility even in the face of death.
They are Dying, about 1825–1828, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes. Getty Museum
In his final years, Goya’s art captured society’s struggles—his drawing of an impoverished man sitting on the street with a basket poignantly underscores empathy for the underdog.
Despite his hardships, Goya was committed to advocating for those in need, using his bleak depictions to critique society and speak truth to power.
For more spooky content, head to Getty’s Instagram to watch Macabre Minute with Mel.
