A VISUAL GUIDE THROUGH PRADO MUSEUM
THE NAKED MAJA
ROOM 038
Floor 1
Goya
You are looking at a guide about the gaze. In these paintings, the main idea is the human need to search for an identity. This is done so we can be seen and perceived by others. At the same time, these works show how a person’s public image and their real identity rarely match.
This specific painting, "The Naked Maja", shows us how the image begins to detach itself from institutions. Instead, it starts to focus on people, feelings, and desires. The gaze falls upon the body and the individual rather than the power they hold. It seeks individuality.
Did you know that...
Curiosity 1
This painting has a "twin" called "The Clothed Maja." Although many people think they were painted at the same time, the truth is that the clothed version was created years after the naked one. Both were commissioned by the
same client.
Curiosity 2
The client who asked Goya to paint both works was the Spanish politician Manuel Godoy. He kept them in his private collection, along with Velázquez’s Venus at her Mirror. He used a special pulley system (a mechanical device) that allowed him to slide one painting over the other, hiding or showing the naked version whenever he wanted.
Curiosity 3
One of the greatest mysteries of this work is the identity of the "Maja." There is a famous legend saying the model was the Duchess of Alba, who was supposedly the painter's lover. However, this is very unlikely; a lady of her high social status would never have agreed to pose for a painting like this at
that time.
Painting audio guide:
Audio made by Miguel Catalán highschool students Samuel, Ismael and Izan
Audio transcription:
“The Naked Maja by Goya portrays a nude woman lying on a divan, surrounded by white fabrics and green cushions. Her direct, calm gaze conveys confidence, while the dark background makes her figure stand out. A nude woman lies horizontally on a sofa covered with white and green fabrics. Her pale skin stands out against the dark background, and her direct gaze and relaxed posture convey naturalness and subtle sensuality. It’s in Museo del Prado in Madrid. Regarding its dimension, 97 and 119. It’s oil canvas. Diffuse light highlights the woman's body against a dark background. The palette uses warm skin tones and colored fabrics, creating a harmonious balance effect. The composition is horizontal and stable, with the woman's body creating diagonal that guides the viewer's gaze from her feet to the face. The image conveys stillness and balance. Its most notable aspects is the natural, realistic depiction of the female nude, and the model's confident, direct gaze challenges the traditional passive role of women in art. Author is Francisco de Goya, was a Spanish painter considered one of the great masters in the history of art. Among his most famous works are The Family of Charles IV and The Clothed Maja, the companion piece to The Naked Maja. Painted in the late 18th century during the Neoclassic period. The work already shows Romantic and modern traits, highlighting individual expression and psychological depth. The painting was highly controversial for its realistic portrayal of a nude woman. The Spanish Inquisition even launched an investigation against Goya because of it. The Naked Maja is one of the most famous paintings in Spain, and one of the first to depict a real nude. It represented a bold break from artistic convention and a step toward modern art. The painting influence many later artists and symbolize the transition to the modern view of art focusing through individuality and the human experience."
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