When I last wrote about Francisco Goya for our blog, I explored the connection between the art thief Curtis Hagen and the Spanish master artist, both in canon and in our series. At the time I was posting Raphael's Dragon, a Caffrey Conversation story. Hagen's ties to Goya were reinforced in the Crossed Lines story Witches' Sabbath when Hagen was held prisoner by Electra's sister Alcy. Neal had an opportunity to speak with Hagen in the witch's house and quizzed him about Goya. Hagen confessed that he'd experienced an unusual attraction to the artist. Like Neal, Hagen was a forger, but he wasn't at Neal's level. Unlike Neal, he didn't normally feel like he was merging with the artist when he made a forgery. But with Goya he did. He commented that it was as if Goya was in his mind.
I didn't reveal which sister had fed off Hagen, but it was Electra who decided Hagen would make the best meatsuit for Crowley. None of Crowley's previous meatsuits had an appreciation for art. Electra may have decided that since she intended to use Crowley to manage her business affairs, she wanted him to have an artistic side. Crowley can access Hagen's memories, but as a general rule, a meatsuit doesn't exert any influence on the demon. Will this time be different? Is Electra's obsession with Neal causing Crowley to dig into Hagen's memories and as he does so will he subconsciously be affected by them?
Crowley isn't the only one thinking about Curtis Hagen. As Neal falls deeper into Electra's clutches, he thinks back on Hagen's experience. Goya's works became much darker as his condition worsened. Neal worries the same thing will happen to him. Neal's views of Hagen have also evolved. Neal respected him as a fellow artist. The thief in him admired the way Hagen was able to elude arrest for over a decade. Likewise, Hagen respected Neal's abilities. The two of them had enough similar experiences that they could relate to each other. I can easily picture them getting together over a bottle of wine to discuss techniques and past heists.
As for the rest of the White Collar team, the fact that a demon looks like the Dutchman has made it easier for them to tackle Crowley. They don't have any experience with demons, but they're quite comfortable dealing with the Dutchman. That attitude will have a bearing on future events.
Related posts: The Dutchman and Goya: A Moment of Serendipity
Night Howls on the Hudson on Archive of Our Own
Night Howls on the Hudson on FanFiction
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