Artwork
Maja
Maja is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Francisco Goya. It dates from 1826 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Maja is a print created by Francisco Goya in 1826 using etching, aquatint, and burnishing on heavy laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a woman standing sideways, dressed in a long, high-necklined garment and shawl, with her hair pulled back and holding a fan. The plain background emphasizes her figure, suggesting a focus on the individual subject.
Technique & Style
Goya's use of etching and aquatint with burnishing achieves a balance between fine lines and smooth shading, creating depth and texture in the subject's clothing and softness in the shadows.
Context
Goya's work from this period often addressed contemporary social and political themes, and his prints contributed to the evolution of Western art towards modernism.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; Spanish: ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker.
