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About The Artist - Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (March 30, 1746 - April 16, 1828)
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Francisco
Goya was an Aragonese Spanish painter and printmaker
of the Spanish Crown. |
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About The Painting - The Nude Maja |
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Goya was a prolific painter ahead of his time
and has been continuously regarded as the last of the Old Masters (such as Velazquez,
Rembrandt) and the first of the modern painters. |
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Goya was
inclined towards painting on dark and mysterious
backgrounds, while nature was his source for endless
variety of shapes. His portrayal of the gaiety
of the Madrid's majas life has been held in high
regard both for the dexterity and picturesque
quality of the productions. |
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Two of Goya's most famous paintings are
The Nude Maja (La maja desnuda) and The Clothed Maja (La maja vestida). Both depict
the same woman in the exact same pose, naked and clothed, respectively. The Nude
Maja was considered a scandalous painting as depictions of naked human form was
strictly prohibited by the Spanish Church. |
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The identity of the Nude Maja is uncertain but it is believed that
Duchess of Alba, probably Goya's beloved, posed for these paintings. The La maja desnuda
("The Nude Maja") is oil on canvas and illustrates a nude woman reclining on a bed of pillows.
Painted probably from 1797-1800, it is believed that this is the first painting where female
pubic hair was depicted in popular Western Art. |
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Interestingly enough, it is still unknown why
these paintings were created or who really modeled for them. While many art historians
and critics has theorized that the woman depicted could have been young mistress of Prime
Minister Manuel de Godoy, Duke of Alcudia who owned the paintings or Duchess of Alba, most
believe that the woman is actually a composite product of Goya's imagination and several
different models. |
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The provocative
look on the maja's face continues to mesmerize people to date.
The drama created due to the stark black background in contrast
to the white foreground adds a touch of mysteriousness as well as
captivate, almost as if the woman will come to life any minute. |
