Goya’s Duchess & The Current One
One of the titans of European art, Francisco de Goya (1746–1828) witnessed a time of revolution and sweeping change in thought and behaviour. His work captured social currents and political unrest. But he also found time for many portraits of the rich and powerful. The major Goya exhibition opening this weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts, in Boston, will include the 1797 portrait (left) of the Thirteenth Duchess of Alba. One of my favorite people on the planet is the current (Eighteenth) Duchess of Alba (right). She is 88 years old, is not averse to a nip here and a tuck there, and three years ago married a much younger man, to the consternation of her family, concerned about inheritance. Good for her! Oh, and the Duchess has more titles — at least 40 — than the Queen of England.
