The Meadow of San Isidro - Francisco Goya

A panoramic view of the annual pilgrimage to the hermitage of San Isidro in Madrid, painted by Francisco Goya in 1788.

Francisco Goya painted The Meadow of San Isidro in 1788 as a preparatory sketch for a larger tapestry cartoon intended for the bedroom of the Infantas at the Pardo Palace. The scene depicts the annual pilgrimage to the hermitage of San Isidro, a popular festival in Madrid. Goya captures the expansive view of the city skyline across the Manzanares River, with the dome of the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande visible in the distance.

The foreground is populated by groups of figures gathered on the grassy slopes. These individuals represent various social classes, from the aristocracy to the common people, all participating in the festivities. Goya uses loose, rapid brushwork to suggest the movement and density of the crowd. The colour palette is dominated by earthy tones, ochres, and soft blues, which reflect the atmospheric quality of a bright day in the Spanish capital.

Unlike his later, darker works, this painting displays the lighter, more decorative style characteristic of his early career at the Spanish royal court. The composition is wide and panoramic, drawing the eye from the intimate groups in the foreground across the river to the sprawling city beyond. The work provides a detailed record of late eighteenth-century Spanish social life, capturing the collective spirit of the pilgrimage. The original oil sketch is held in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it remains a primary example of Goya's ability to balance observational detail with a fluid, painterly technique. The scene is devoid of the biting social commentary found in his later prints, focusing instead on the observational qualities of the public gathering.