| Dead Turkey | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Francisco de Goya |
| Year | 1808–1812 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 45 cm × 62 cm (18 in × 24 in) |
| Location | Prado Museum, Madrid (Spain) |
Dead Turkey[1] (in Spanish: El Pavo muerto) is an oil painting byFrancisco Goya. It forms a pair withDead Birds, which it is exhibited with at thePrado Museum in Madrid.
Thestill life was not a common theme in Goya's works; at the time the genre was less valued than portraits and religious or historic works. In 19th century Spain, the leading painters in this style wereLuis Paret y Alcázar andLuis Meléndez.[2] They worked in aRococo style with a markedRealism and attention to detail. Goya painted a series of still lifes during the Spanish War of Independence (1807–1814) and later while exiled inBordeaux. However, these works are far from the Rococo style, and are characterized by thick brush strokes and a limited color palette. Furthermore, Goya's still lifes deal starkly with death: the dead animals are treated as victims, their bodies depicted in a cruel and direct manner. It is impossible to determine the exact origin of this series of still lifes, but art historians place them between 1808 and 1812, due to their similarities withThe Disasters of War, works from the same period that featured many violent scenes[2]
The still life is composes of a deadturkey leaned against awicker basket, which is the sole spatial reference point. The background is dark and uniform, drawing the viewer's eye to the bird. Goya removes all affectation or idealization, placing the accent on light and color. The paint is applied with rapid brush strokes – each ridge of the basket is painted with one thick stroke,.[1][3] The palette is limited to four colors (ocher, white, black and red[4]), with the red of the bird's head highlighted against the dark backdrop giving the work a dramatic realism.[3]
Traditionally, paintings of birds were used to exemplify life, with rich colors creating a feeling of celebration. However, instead of these positive associations, Goya's work provokes a feeling closer to empathy. The limited number of elements concentrates the viewer on the recent death of the bird – something that has often been interpreted as a reference to the events of the War of Independence and its victims.[5] The corpse-like rigidity of the raised wing and the joined feet augment the dramatic depth of the scene[4]