Majos and Majas Conversing

This drawing continues Goya's focus on Spanish Dukes and Duchesses during this extended period of drawings which resulted from being short of other materials at this time.

The artist would leave areas of wash as shadow behind his main figures, with those constructed from ink. The artwork that you see in this page could be put together in just a matter of hours, perhaps even quicker than that, with minimal detail added to the facial features and more attention given to the figurative poses. In this scene the figures are all sat down in a relatively casual setting, perhaps having retreated to a small room after lunch or dinner.

Goya places a greater concentration on the couple of figures in the foreground, leaving the rest of the scene much fainter in comparison. This helps to focus the eye on what the artist considered to be the most important, with the gentleman sat on a chair on the right hand side chatting casually to his female friend. She looks into his eyes longingly, suggesting a strong bond between the two, or that she desired such a relationship.

In the background you will see several other equally-intimate meetings going on, perhaps suggesting that this group of people had separated into their romantic pairings at this stage of the evening. In that sense, this drawing gives an interesting insight into the courting rituals of the rich and empowered families of Spain and France during this period.