Introduction: Francisco de Goya lived during a period when Spain was caught between Enlightenment ideals and deep social instability. Born in 1746, he built a successful career as a painter for the Spanish court, but his work often looked beyond the surface of wealth and power. He was surrounded by a world that was beginning to question superstition, religious authority, inherited status, and corruption, while also moving toward the violence and uncertainty that would later define the Peninsular War. Goya’s life and career were shaped by these contradictions. He worked within elite institutions, but he also became one of their …