I read today that Goya‘s head was stolen when his body was being moved from France (his place of death) to Spain (where he spent most of his life).  It was never retrieved.  He was a remarkable artist, one that peered, no stared, right into the most deplorable haunts of himself and human-fate.  (“Stare.  Listen Eavesdrop.  Die knowing something.  You’re not hear long” -Walker Evans).

But Goya’s head…I don’t know why I’m bringing it up; maybe some might gloss over its missing as neat trivia, but I found it to be the sort of stuff odd dreams and fantastic tales are made of.

Painting: Saturn Devouring His Son, 1819.  By Francisco Goya.

Print: What more can one do?, from The Disasters of War, 1812-15.  By Francisco Goya.

To tie this into photography…well, Sorrenti has always drawn a lot of inspiration from the old masters, a lot of time in very literal interpretations or homages.  He did a Goya inspired story years ago for Another Magazine.

photo: “Silent Scream” in Another Magazine Fall/Winter 04.  © Mario Sorrenti.

Or a more true reference to the spirit of Goya would be the most Classically alluding contemporary photographer, the prince of photo darkness, and the taker of heads himself: Joel-Peter Witkin.

photo: The Kiss (La Baiser), 1982. © Joel-Peter Witkin.