"Madness of Mind...Madness of Mine"

"El Suenos de la Razon produce Monstruos" The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.

Painting and interpretation by Francisco Goya, Spanish painter, 1746- 1828.

This particular artwork, from one of his "Los Caprichos" series, in 1799.



Mental illnesses, obsession, pain, suffering, is what I gather from this painting in whatever form.

I wouldn't doubt it though, if some woman stiffed him good. Anyways........

I cannot argue with the Goya the painter, Goya the creator and his brilliant madness.


Black cat, bats, owls and lynx: Omens of a man lost in depression; possibility due to his folly and ignorance...possibility.


Deep, depressive, dismal, "still life" for lack of better words. Dimming the light of wisdom as the darkness creeps in.


"Madness of Mind...Madness of Mine." A place of untold peace, and boundless dread.

The unconscious can be a place of wondrous contradictions, silent and unstirring; yet restless and alive.

Deep in mire, festering in confusion, at times without sleep...without dreams...without reason.

Haunting shadows, temptations... The savor of man's evil desires; his lunacies at time, hubris.

Lost is he, in a chasm of his sweet oblivion.

Again for whatever reason, and there can be many.

Left to wander and linger over the same manic path.

Looking in the mirror seeing the physical. Looking into the mirror of the soul, spying the haunting shadow in full regalia.. and takes stage.

In the open having to survive, so go to the neutral zone.

The eyes are disguised and inviting; romantic...empathic...sensuous. Giving a promise of love and passion, but yet.......

The inner distorted solace of these chestnut brown demons waiting for the temptation of soft, succulent lust; an appetite of lunacies, "Bon Appetite!" But, "Ooooh, what can become of the jolly folly."

Thoroughly possessed by the anesthetizing demons of habit, rotting so close to the boarders of madness.

Waiting for the tollgates to open and to flood at the very cradle of darkness.

Something akin to "Singing with the Angels or romp with the Devil."

Is it madness of the mind, or imagination of the soul??? Such can be a twisted bliss, anyways.....


Researching this painting and Goya's intentions, debatable as they may, as the ambiguity of the meaning, ( but isn't that what madness is......obscure?). --HAHA

I quote starting with the symbolism: "The lynx is a symbol of secrets, known for its strong vision and hearing.

"The lynx and the bat carry supernatural, satanic significance but can represent good.

The owl may indicate wisdom.

But the owl, cat, and bat also stand for depression, melancholy. The large bat with the goat face denotes a satanic element."

Many interpretations, many opinions... "What emerges when reason is suppressed and, therefore, as an betrothal of Enlightenment ideals."

"Also it can be interpreted as Goya's commitment to the creative process and Romantic spirit--the unleashing of imagination, emotions and even nightmares."

Arguably however, one looks at it but only until one has "been" to the very cradle of darkness can one truthfully understand Goya's intention.

And so it is with this "Madness of Mind...Madness of Mine." ;} ;{



~LJS