Men Reading
Men Reading (La Lectura), also known as Politicians, is a fresco by Francisco Goya, created around 1820–1823. It is one of the 14 Black Paintings Goya painted late in his life on the walls of the Quinta del Sordo (the House of the Deaf Man) outside Madrid. The painting was transferred to canvas in 1873–74 and is now in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. It measures about 125.3 cm by 65.2 cm.
The picture shows six men gathered closely, with a central seated figure holding a page in his lap as the others read. They are often thought to be politicians reading and discussing a newspaper article about themselves. Goya originally painted this on a smaller wall next to Women Laughing and opposite The Dog and Two Old Men Eating Soup. X‑rays show he altered the scene during its creation: at one point there was a landscape with a mounted rider, and the white area at the center may have horns or wings.
In style, Men Reading is vertical and smaller than many other Black Paintings, and it is dark in color but lit from the upper left. It shares similarities with Women Laughing. Some see the scene as a commentary on political talk, suggesting that the politicians’ chatter is as empty as the solitary amusement of the women in the other painting. The work was once owned by Baron Emile d’Erlanger, who donated it to the Spanish state in 1881.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:50 (CET).