Through Goya's Eyes by Dr Dorothy Ricci

"Beautifully told...the book helped me relive works of art and to see them in a new light"

From the perspective of Gaspar Jovellanos, diarist and friend of the painter Francisco De Goya, we experience the Spanish Enlightenment of the late 18th century.

Goya’s art vividly testifies to the pain and suffering of brutal repression, as well as to the vitality and hopefulness that were all part of the Spanish experience at this time.

In the form of a biography of Gaspar Jovellanos, Dr Ricci takes us into a world that is otherwise relatively unknown outside the Spanish-speaking world.

The author writes: “The world of Francisco De Goya and Gaspar Jovellanos teems with diverse characters, real people who interact with them, from Cean Bermudez, Martin Zapater, Olavide, and Saavedra to Charles IV, a Carthusian apothecary, and an Institute librarian. Other characters, namely Elena, her father, and Echevarria, reflect themes expressed in Jovellano's writings and in Goya's Caprichos drawings. Since Gaspar wrote often in his Diarios of traveling by caballo I provided a really fine horse for him named Robles. The novel is basically a story of courage in the face of personal and professional challenges and stresses the importance of family and friends and the need to use one’s talents and abilities to the fullest.”

Dorothy Ricci, Ph.D. taught history and foreign language in Milford, CT. She studied at the University of Salamanca in Spain, and her novel is a culmination of a lifelong interest in Spanish history and art. 

"I am amazed at how beautifully the story is told. The characters and the artwork are really brought to life.  The descriptions of Spain and, in fact, all of the descriptions are beautifully done.  The book helped me relive works of art and to see them in a new light." - Pamela Sheppard, HS Spanish teacher