Gerald Davis on Francisco de Goya

Francisco de Goya, Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga, 1787–88, Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 inches

The Goya painting, Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga, has been a signpost for me for the past few months while I’ve been making a show of paintings to exhibit at Feria Material in Mexico City.

In terms of thinking about how to have both a beautiful and innocent subject and not let it veer into Kleenex box pretty-ness, this painting is my guide. The lower left corner looks like it stems from his black paintings. At the same time, it makes the boy's face and outfit look all the more light and delicate in comparison.  

In my own work, I try to let things come together in unexpected ways, not only with my brushwork, but also with lights and darks. Goya does this so well. His technique never looks predictable or academic. I am playing with value in a similar way in these butterfly paintings by going as dark as I can in most of the painting while preserving a saturated, glowing focal point.

Gerald Davis, Red Admiral, 2024, Oil on canvas, 45 x 60 inches
Gerald David, Scarlet Peacock, 2024, Oil on canvas, 45 x 60 inches

Gerald Davis lives in Los Angeles, California. He earned an MFA in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA from Pennsylvania State University. His solo exhibitions have spanned internationally, and his works are held in collections such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Hammer Museum.