Francisco de Goya (b. 1746, Fuentedetodos, Spain)

The Burial of the Sardine

ca. 1812-19, oil on weed, 82.5 cm × 62 cm.

Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid. Marked as public domain.

 These masked revellers are celebrating Carnival, a time in the Christian calendar when people can misbehave and indulge before the sacrifices of Lent. Goya’s painting seems to be a dig at the Spanish Catholic Church and a tribute to the common people who refused to be censored by it. The sinister "King of the Carnival" on the banner at the centre of the painting may symbolise the terrifying face of the Spanish Inquisition.

READ ABOUT THE BACKGROUND HERE…

The Burial of the Sardine (Entierro de la Sardina) is a three-day festivity which still takes place during Carnival in Madrid. The celebration of Carnival dates to early Medieval times. Costumes and masks allow people to “let go” without fear of punishment but also to experience a sense of coming together regardless of social status. Nevertheless, the shadow of death is ever present as Christians start preparing for Good Friday.

The "Burial of the Sardine” came to be associated with those who had died violently, and the word "mortus" ("death") appears on the banner. However, given Goya’s repeated critiques of superstition and its encouragement by the Spanish Church, perhaps he saw this as a celebration of everything that needed to change as Spain emerged from the terrible Napoleonic occupation.