The Country Picnic
1784. Oil on canvas.Room 094
Within the brick and masonry walls of a traditional Castilian corral at a country house, a group of Majos and Majas rest on the ground and share a light meal. The elegance of some of their clothing, and the sword on the left, along with the youths´ somewhat unrefined flirting, indicate that the lords have been joined by some of the locals. A typical element in this sort of images rests on the majos´ capes in the foreground at the left of the painting: a popular guitar. The number of tuning pegs and strings is not clear but, as was common at that time, it appears to have double strings. This instrument cannot be attributed to any particular category of luthiers, however, as it follows the norms for popular guitars of this period. The painting was made in 1784 as a sketch for a cartoon to be painted by the author´s brother, Ramón. The subsequent tapestry was intended for the Prince of Asturias´s Quarters at the El Pardo Palace. The cartoon (P004157) belongs to the Museo del Prado and is on loan to the Spanish embassy in London.
