On-line gallery
- Reference number
- P00741
- Author
- Goya y Lucientes, Francisco de (Spanish)
- Title
- The Clothed Maja
- Chronology
- 1807-1808
- Technique
- Support
- Measures
- 95 cm x 190 cm
- School
- Theme
- Shown
- Yes
- Entrance
- ADSCRIPCION
- Procedence
- Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, 1901
An unidentified lady wearing
delicate transparent clothing and a
yellow jacket with black
decorations lies on a green velvet
divan with cushions and a
spread.
There has been a great variety of
opinions as to who the sitter is,
but her anonymity is maintained in
all of the inventories listing this
work. Legend would have it that she
was the Duchess of Alba, although
she has also been identified as
Pepita Tudó, Godoy's mistress from
1797 on.
This painting is first mentioned in
1808 along with its companion, The
Nude Maja (P742), in the inventory
of the property of Manuel Godoy
carried out by Frédéric Quillet, an
agent of José Bonaparte. In 1813,
the two Majas are described as
Gypsies in the inventory of Godoy's
properties confiscated by King
Fernando VII. The present work is
more summarily painted than the
nude work, which has more subtle
transparencies and tonal
gradations, as well as some
differences in the position of the
figure.
This work entered the Prado Museum
in 1901 by way of the Academy of
Fine Arts of San Fernando, where it
had been from 1808 to 1813, and
again from 1836 to 1901. In the
hiatus between those two periods,
it was sequestered by the
Inquisition.
Location on the map
