The Maja on the Balcony
- Original dimensions
- 125.7 x 194.8 cm
- Museum
- Gallery 619, Goya and Eighteenth-Century Italy, Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Year
- 1808
Scene depicted
The painting “The Majas on the Balcony” depicts two young women draped in refined clothing, contemplating the city from a balcony. The dynamic composition captures an atmosphere of tranquility and mystery, while symbolizing the social class and emerging feminism of the time. The exchanged glances between the characters add palpable tension, a curiosity that emanates from this masterful pictorial work.
Historical context
Created in 1808 in Madrid, The Majas on the Balcony is part of the Spanish Romantic movement. This iconic canvas of the Age of Enlightenment reveals Goya's penetrating gaze on the society of his time. Today, this painting is displayed at the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art, highlighting the lasting influence of the artist. With impressive dimensions of 125.7 cm by 194.8 cm, this artwork holds a prominent place in any collection.
Place in the artist's career
The Majas on the Balcony is one of the major milestones in Goya's career, who, after his promising debut and early successes with The Naked Maja , reaches a stylistic peak here. This painting reveals his pictorial evolution, alongside The Plains of La Ronda and The Executions of May 3, 1808 , where human emotion is pushed to its maximum, testifying to his commitment to his troubled era.
Anecdote
“I have always sought to capture the human soul, even in the silence of features,” Goya might have declared while painting this masterpiece. Imagine him, sitting in a corner of the street, observing passersby under the first rays of the spring morning sun, which fueled his inspiration for The Majas on the Balcony , inviting the viewer to grasp the delicate essence of feminine beauty.
Major exhibitions
Spanish Gallery