Francisco de Goya y Lucientes , La Maja Vestida, 1800-1805Museo del Prado, Madrid
(Source)
(Source)
Goya's Clothed Maja is the counterpart to his Naked Maja. Both paintings hang side by side in Madrid's Prado Museum. They were both painted for the then-Prime Minister of Spain, Manuel Godoy, who was also rumoured to be the lover of Queen Maria Luisa. Godoy kept the two paintings whereby the clothed version could be raised by a pulley system to expose the naked one underneath. A kind of old-school peepshow if you will.
Of course, there is more info surrounding this pic. No one ever expects the Spanish Inquisition but you can bet that if they found out Goya had painted a picture of a nude woman (complete with pubic hair!) that they'd be unhappy. They were unhappy. In 1808, King Carlos IV of Spain abdicated, Godoy fell from power, and thus the Majas ended up in the hands of the Inquisition. In 1815, Goya was called up to explain himself, and ultimately lost his position as painter to the Spanish Court.
Of course, there is more info surrounding this pic. No one ever expects the Spanish Inquisition but you can bet that if they found out Goya had painted a picture of a nude woman (complete with pubic hair!) that they'd be unhappy. They were unhappy. In 1808, King Carlos IV of Spain abdicated, Godoy fell from power, and thus the Majas ended up in the hands of the Inquisition. In 1815, Goya was called up to explain himself, and ultimately lost his position as painter to the Spanish Court.
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