Paintings by Francisco Goya and a Work by Salvador Dalí at Exhibition in “Square 500” National Gallery in Sofia

Twenty-one works by Francisco Goya and one by Salvador Dalí are now on display at 'Kvadrat 500' (Square 500) national gallery in Sofia. The exhibition, titled 'Dreams of the Waking Mind', explores the world of one of the most remarkable and influential creative figures in world culture. The works are part of the collection of the National Gallery, and the exhibition will run from today until 21 October.

A visit to Kvadrat 500 offers a rare opportunity to experience the art of the great Goya. A pioneer of printmaking, he was the first artist to make use of the aquatint technique. Goya introduced artistic methods and ideas that laid the foundations of modern art.

Kalin Nikolov, curator of the exhibition:

"His paintings and his way of working—so emotional, psychological and unrestrained in their satire and criticism—make him an artist who revealed an entirely new world of human faces, something unprecedented at the time and difficult to say has ever been surpassed."

According to the curator, it is impossible to single out one work as the exhibition's highlight because each piece represents the true essence of Goya.

Photos: Desislava Kulelieva, BNT

Kalin Nikolov, curator of the exhibition:

"It is as though these works were not collected by chance over the years, beginning in the 1950s. Each of them presents Goya in his most compelling and philosophically profound form. Los Caprichos reveal his remarkable, highly specific critique of his own age. La Tauromaquia reflects his passion for portraying both humanity and nature, and humanity in the face of madness."

The exhibition also includes a work by the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, dedicated to Goya and his celebrated series Los Caprichos.