The artwork titled “Don Ramon Satue” is a portrait created by the renowned artist Francisco Goya in 1823. This oil on canvas painting measures 107 by 83.5 centimeters and is a fine example of the Romanticism movement. It falls under the genre of portrait and is currently housed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The artwork depicts a male figure, presumably Don Ramon Satue, standing against a dark, nondescript background which serves to highlight the subject himself. The figure is portrayed with a direct gaze, suggesting a sense of confidence or self-assuredness. Goya has used a limited color palette consisting of dark tones, with the exception of the striking red seen in the subject’s sash and the white accents of his shirt. The brushwork is loose and expressive, a characteristic common in Romantic art, allowing for a sense of immediacy and emotional resonance. The name “Don Ramon Satue” is inscribed in the lower left corner, along with the artist’s signature and the year the portrait was completed, further authenticating the work as one by Goya. The competence of Goya’s portraiture is evident in the realistic depiction of textures such as the subject’s hair, the luminosity of the skin, and the fabrics of his clothing, all of which contribute to the three-dimensionality and presence of the figure within the spatial confines of the painting.
