Why it matters
Unlike earlier nudes disguised as goddesses, Goya's maja is a real Spanish woman shown frontally and meeting the viewer with a bold gaze. It was probably painted for the prime minister Manuel Godoy's private room of nudes, and has a clothed twin in the same pose.
Did you know?
- It was painted around 1797–1800.
- Its pendant, La maja vestida (The Clothed Maja), usually hangs next to it in the Prado.
- The identity of the model is unknown.
Based on the Wikipedia article La maja desnuda (CC BY-SA 4.0).
