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How did Francisco Goya train as an artist in Zaragoza and Madrid?

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Francisco Goya: Self-portrait — Francisco Goya Detail of *Self-portrait*, etching by Francisco Goya from the series *Los caprichos*, 1799.

Francisco Goya’s artistic training began in Zaragoza, where he studied under the local artist José Luzán y Martínez, who had been trained in Naples.12

He later moved to Madrid to become a pupil of the court painter Francisco Bayeu, whose sister he eventually married. Goya furthered his education by traveling to Italy, visiting Rome in 1771.2

Throughout his development, Goya was significantly influenced by several masters and styles:
* Baroque-Rococo: His early religious works in Zaragoza reflected this style, heavily influenced by the Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.2
* Neoclassicism: While working on tapestry cartoons for the Royal Tapestry Factory of Santa Bárbara, he was guided by the German artist Anton Raphael Mengs, who emphasized simplicity.2
* Realism: Goya eventually developed an independent style by studying the works of Diego Velázquez, whose influence taught him the language of realism and the importance of nature.12

Later in life, Goya famously acknowledged three primary masters: Velázquez, Rembrandt van Rijn, and nature itself.12