Lion Feuchtwanger's fascination with the works of the Spanish painter Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) began in 1926 with visits to the Louvre and later the Prado. The literary impact was evident as early as 1930 in sections of Feuchtwanger's novel
Erfolg, but was clearly at its most pronounced in the historical novel
Goya oder Der arge Weg der Erkenntnis(1951), published in Frankfurt am Main. The English version was published in the same year under the title
This is the Hour(later editions added the subtitle
A Novel about Goya). Translations into over twenty other languages appeared in the following years. However, a planned second volume focusing on Goya's years in exile in France was never written.
Despite its considerable length the novel is concerned with only a very short period in
802 words
Citation: Wallace, Ian. "Goya, oder Der arge Weg der Erkenntnis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 April 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16757, accessed 23 November 2024.]
