Speaker: Deborah L. Roldán, assistant director of exhibitions, MFAH. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado. The genius of Francisco de Goya (1746–1828) was acknowledged in his own lifetime. During his lengthy career as painter to the Spanish court, he carried out the most well-known paintings and prints of the era. But his fortunes suffered, as Spain’s did, after the Napoleonic occupation of Spain (1807–14) and his subsequent exile in France. However, with the opening of the Prado in 1819 and the subsequent “discovery” of Goya by the French Romantics in the 19th century, he would attain the international recognition that he has preserved ever since. He was to become an even more iconic figure in Spain in the wake of the Spanish-American War of 1898, when the country lost the remnants of its colonial empire, and found in Goya a symbol of its former greatness. In this talk, Deborah Roldán delves into Goya’s extraordinary impact in France and Spain in the century following his death. A reception to meet the speaker follows each lecture. Tickets $5 MFAH Members $8 Nonmembers + museum admission Secure your seats in advance! Tickets are available online by clicking the "Get Tickets" link above (printer required to print out ticket); by calling 713.639.7771; or on-site at any MFAH admissions desk. Questions about the content of this lecture? E-mail lectures@mfah.org