The Glory or Adoration of the Name of God

This is the excellent preparatory study or "modello" that Goya made in late 1771 and early 1772 for the fresco to cover the vaulted ceiling of the small choir (coreto) facing the Lady Chapel in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza. This fresco would be the first major work that Goya would do in Zaragoza, shortly after returning from Italy. In it he blended a Roman Late Baroque-style composition with Rococo elements. On different banks of clouds he arranged angels, musicians and singers, praising the Glory of God. One can appreciate the magnificent sense of spatial depth achieved by Goya through the use of light and subtle chiaroscuro effects. The young angels at the edges of the composition draw the viewer's attention and lead it to the luminous triangle in the background, which represents God in the persons of the Trinity. The bottom of the painting shows a series of pentimenti or alterations that the passing of time has revealed through the paint that covered them.