Angel head (1)

This is one of the three known preparatory drawings of heads of angels with young men for the vault of the choir stalls in the Basílica del Pilar in Saragossa, which Goya painted in fresco in 1772 on the theme of the Adoration of the Name of God. The other two drawings are in the Zaragoza Museum and the Louvre. With this commission he demonstrated his ability to produce a large-scale composition, his first public work and one for a singularly emblematic place in the city.

The changes between the preparatory sketch and the final fresco, as well as their comparison with the three drawings, show that Goya studied the work carefully.

There are some discrepancies as to which of the various angels in the fresco corresponds to each of the three drawings, if one can speak of a direct correspondence. This one in particular is related to the standing angel on the left of the composition.

The way in which they are drawn corresponds to a prototype of ideal classicist beauty that Goya had contemplated during his stay in Italy, using parallel and crossed strokes to achieve the shading on the face. Occasionally he darkens the area around the eyes as a more expressive device.