A Goya Downgraded

Madrid - The Prado Museum in Madrid said on Thursday that “El Coloso,” the oil painting of a looming giant long attributed to Francisco de Goya, was probably painted by an assistant. The authenticity of the painting, which was created during Napoleon’s occupation of Spain, had been disputed by a Goya specialist at the museum, Manuela Mena, The Independent of London reported. “Stylistically, it is completely alien to Goya,” said Ms. Mena. “The person who painted the bulls in ‘El Coloso’ knew nothing about the anatomy of a bull, which Goya knew everything about.”

José Luis Díez, a curator at the Prado, also claims that initials at the bottom corner of the work belong to Asensio Juliá, Goya’s assistant, The Telegraph reported. The painting has been omitted from “Goya in Times of War,” a special exhibition commemorating the bicentennial of the start of the Spanish War of Independence, which runs through July 13.

The Prado Museum, has informed in a technical meeting with the media that the progress on the study of the work of art The Colossus traditionally attributed to Goya. Gabriele Finaldi, Director of Conservation at the museum, Manuela Mena, Chief of Conservation of paintings from XVIII century and Goya, and José Luis Díez, Chief of Conservation of paintings from the XIX century, have given them, after the meeting held by specialists celebrated this same week at the museum, the information on the state of the study of the work of art after having discovered the novelty of the initials A. J. (in the inferior left part of the painting) pertaining to Asensio Julia, Valencian painter, a friend and collaborator of Goya's.

The definitive conclusions of the study continue taking place on the work of art and it has been said that they will end in a few months and will be conveyed to the public.