A master on the edge of two worlds, old and modern, Francisco Goya was admired for his realistic portraits, romanticism, and later in life his darkness. He was a complicated man who wanted nothing more than to express himself and was able to accomplish that at the highest level, becoming a court painter to the Spanish Crown. He captured the culture and happenings of his lifetime unlike any other painter, and utilized paint in a bold way that inspired successive generations of artists like Édouard Manet, Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon. As we celebrate his 269th birthday today, it is all of his accomplishments we reflect on and the brilliance of his mind that ushered in a modern era of painting.