"if you are an angel go and flatter a person named Moreau, picture dealer, Rue Lafitte, Hotel Lafitte.. ..and try to obtain from this man permission to take a photograph of the [painting] 'Duchess of Alba' (absolutely Goya and absolutely authentic). The replicas (life-size) are in Spain, where Gautier has seen them. In one frame the Duchess is represented in national costume, in the other she is nude, in the same position, on her back. The triviality of the pose adds to the charm of the pictures. If I ever used your slang I might say that the Duchess is a bizarre woman with a wicked look.. .If you were a very wealthy angel I would advise you to buy these pictures, for the occasion will not repeat itself. Imagine a Bonington, or a gallant and ferocious Deveria. The man who owns them is asking 2,400 francs.. .He admitted to me that he bought them from Goya's son [Xavier Goya], who had become extraordinarily embarrassed."
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Francisco Goya
1746 – 1803
Francisco Goya (30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish painter and printmaker. He was a court painter to the Spanish Crown and a chronicler of history. His letters to MartÃn Zapater y ClaverÃa , (1746-1803) a prosperous merchant and Goya's closest friend - spanning some 30 years, are an important private source for Goya's quotes; these letters show him at his most intimate and uninhibited.
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