The first picture of our art series in Korana days is “Saturn Devouring His Son” from Goya. This painting is exhibited among the Black Paintings of Goya at the Prado Museum in Madrid. Goya made these paintings for decoration on the wall of his house.

Before examining the painting, let’s remember Saturn, namely Kronos in Greek Mythology.

According to Greek Mythology, Kronos is the youngest son of the God of Sky Uranos and the Goddess of the Earth, Gaia, and is one of the Titans. Kronos married Rhea, who was Titan like himself, and Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, Posedion and Zeus were born from this marriage. Kronos castrated his father Uranos and ended the sovereignty of the first generation gods. Kronos (cronus, khronos, time), who castrated his father Uranos with a sickle and started the golden age in mythology by becoming the head of the Titans, became the second generation leader of the gods and titans representing time and ages in Greek Mythology. But Kronos has a curse. Just as he lowered his own father to the throne, one of his children will bring him down. Kronos starts eating all his children so that the prophecy is not correct. But Rhea deceives her by giving her a piece of stone wrapped in her swaddling cloth to Kronos instead of her youngest son, Zeus, and manages to kidnap Zeus to Crete.

In the Battle of the Titans, Zeus defeats his father Kronos, traps the titans to Tartaros, and thus the era of the Olympian Gods under the reign of Zeus begins. ”

Now we can go back to the table. In fact, even though the picture seems frightening at first glance, it starts to make more sense after knowing the story behind it.

In addition to being seen as a reflection of mythology, this painting is also known as a reflection of what Goya was thinking at that time. It is a reflection of how power and power behave to their children in order to remain in power to those who bring themselves to power. Goya had seen the Spanish monarchy destroy the country. Circularity of time, the idea of turning back on their children to become enemies. All this is described allegorically in the table.

Saturn’s worn-out eyes, panic movements, and a tight grasp so that the child does not escape, as if I will not lose my power scream …

Saturn does not want to lose his power, but he does his children with fear and panic, thinking that this is what he has to do. This is why he is depicted in a mad way.

Look at how Goya depicts Saturn: Like it melts and loses its limbs. It has a certain anatomy. But some areas do not seem to exist. So we see his madness reflected in his body. Goya here describes the flesh of the body with all its violence, strangeness and ugliness.

Goya reflects the world she sees in this painting by blending mythology. It depicts what people do and can do.