The guitar majo

The majo of the guitar is a cardboard for tapestry, painted by Francisco de Goya for the antedormitorio of the Princes of Asturias in the Palacio del Pardo.

Its format indicates its use as an overlay. Goya delivered the work in January, 1780, receiving 1,000 reales for the work. He gave along with this painting other works from the following series, such as Las lavanderas and Los Leñadores. Analysis

This painting, Goya's complete invention, is a of one of the artist's most outstanding series of etchings, known as Los Caprichos.

It keeps great similarities with The woodcutters and it is possible that they were couple, although they belong to different series. The majo is the central part of the painting, which resorts to the triangular scheme of Mengs. The focus of light falls on the guitar player, who stands out among all the characters. Goya uses here a loose detail brushwork that magnificently reflects a scene of eighteenth-century Spanish society. Compared with the homonymous work of Ramón Bayeu, brother-in-law of Goya, the work of the latter loses despite the atmospheric effect of the canvas. Sources

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