Clothed Maja is a painting by Francisco Goya, created in 1800-1805. The canvas depicts a young woman who, with her hands behind her head, is reclining on greenish cushions trimmed with white lace. The soft oval of the face, the sly look of dark eyes, the gentle blush on the cheeks and the teasing smile on the lips – all this creates the image of a girl who is aware of her attractiveness and perfectly knows how to use it to her own advantage.

“Maja Clothed” by Francisco Goya is a charming Spanish commoner in a provocative role

These were the Mahi – representatives of a special class from the Madrid slums, who gained great popularity among the Spanish aristocrats. The outfit of the main character gives a special piquancy to the work. A thin silver-white fabric dress, intercepted by a wide belt, hugs the figure, showing every curve of a luxurious body, rather than hiding it. A golden jacket and pointy shoes evoke thoughts of oriental luxury.

The rest of the room’s furnishings are hidden by intimate twilight so as not to distract the viewer’s attention from the girl. The author managed to very skillfully and inspiredly embody on canvas the ideal beauty of a woman, seductive and free from conventions. And the skillful use of light and shadow gave the picture a special depth, made the image of the mahi real and tangible.

Name of the painting: “Maja dressed” (Spanish: La maja vestida).
Author: Francisco Goya (1746-1828).
Year of drawing: 1800-1805
Size: 97 x 190 cm.
Style: Romanticism.
Genre: Portrait.
Technique: Oil.
Material: Canvas.
Location: Prado National Museum, Madrid, Spain.

Francisco Goya is an outstanding Spanish artist who worked in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Since 1799, he served as the first painter of King Charles IV and it was at this time that he painted the painting Maja Clothed, which became a more censored version of another masterpiece, Maja Nude. Both works by Goya were commissioned by Manuel Godoy. With a decent copy, he covered the canvas in the nude genre, since in those days both the drawing of a naked female body and the storage of such images in his house were under the strictest ban.

The painting “Maja Clothed” by Francisco Goya is a work in which the author, observing all the requirements of censorship, managed to portray the main character no less sensually and piquantly than in the “nude” version.