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B A L B O A PA R KPainting Himself on Death’s DoorGoya’s work one of the most arresting self-portraits in art historyThe second in the series of major loans tothe Timken Museum of Art comes from theMinneapolis Institute of Art. Francisco deGoya’s “Self-Portrait with Dr. Arrieta” from1820 is on display at the Timken throughSept. 9. The museum will display the paintingalongside the Timken’s own revolutionary-eramasterpiece, Jacques-Louis David’slandmark portrait of the Irish Republicansympathizer, Cooper Penrose, of 1802. Admissionis free.As court painter for both Charles III andCharles IV of Spain, Goya achieved considerablerenown as a portraitist. “Self-Portraitwith Dr. Arrieta,” one of his masterpieces andthe last of his many self-portraits, was createdlate in his life. Goya, who because of a previousmysterious illness was stone deaf, hadFrancisco de Goya’s ‘Self Portrait with Dr.Arrieta’fallen seriously ill again and his doctor EugenioGarc’a Arrieta brought him back tohealth.On recovering, he presented Arrieta withthe portrait that shows the physician caringfor his patient. The artist’s inscription reads:“Goya gives thanks to his friend Arrieta forthe expert care with which he saved his lifefrom an acute and dangerous illness whichhe suffered at the close of the year 1819 whenhe was seventy-three years old. He painted itin 1820.”“One of the most arresting self-portraitsin the history of art, Goya has painted himselfon death’s door, collapsed onto Dr. Arrieta,who offers him a glass of red liquid,” saidJohn Wilson, executive director of theTimken. “Small details create a compellingstory: as Goya’s head lolls he grips the edge ofthe sheet and mysterious figures crowd thebackground in the rich darkness; Arrieta’s attentiveconcern contrasts with Goya’s unconsciousness.”A private dinner hosted by Lori and BillWalton is planned for Aug. 9 to commemoratethe showing. Each guest will wear a designinspired by either Goya’s Self Portrait orJacques-Louis David’s Cooper Penrose. Costis $5,000 per couple.Goya’s self-portrait is on loan to theTimken Museum of Art from the MinneapolisInstitute of Arts, The Ethel MorrisonVan Derlip Fund in exchange for theTimken’s loan of Rembrandt’s SaintBartholomew, part of the exhibition Rembrandtin America on view at the MIAthrough Sept. 16.Patrons of the Prado toHonor Peter EllsworthPeter “Pete” K. Ellsworth,known as San Diego’sfounding father of culturalleadership. will be honoredJuly 14 by Patrons of thePrado, a philanthropic organizationthat supportsarts and cultural institutionsin the park. Ellsworth, president ofthe Legler Benbough Foundation, is creditedwith the expansion of Sharp Hospitalinto the Sharp Healthcare network of hospitalsand clinics from the mid-1980s tothe mid-1990s. He was nominated by theTimken Museum of Art as one of 11 visionary“Patrons on the Prado Stars” for2012 who serve the community by providingan enhanced Balboa Park experience.The awards program will be held at 6 p.m.on the Prado and also will feature tributesto the Beach Boys and Jersey Boys, entertainmentby the Wayne Foster Orchestra,and cuisine by Jeffrey Strauss of PamplemousseGrill. Ellsworth and 10 other honorees,who were nominated by galabeneficiary institutions, will be honoredduring the program. Ellen Zinn is chair ofthe event.Ellsworth and his wife Doris have beenFriends of the Timken since 1998. Hisstewardship of the Legler BenboughFoundation has been instrumental in theevolution of the museum through conservationand acquisition of world class art.Major gifts from the foundation were alsodirectly responsible for the development ofa strategic plan and the hiring of its executivedirector, John Wilson, in 2008.Ellsworth serves on the Mayor’s 2015 BalboaPark Committee and Irwin Jacob’sPlaza de Panama Board.2 7 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y 1 9 8 5 - 2 0 1 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 2 | S A N D I E G O M E T R O . C O M3 5