La maja vestida

The paintings were never publicly exhibited during Goya's lifetime, so it is also unknown if they were created as pendant paintings, to be displayed as a pair. However, since 1901 they have been exhibited together at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. Beforehand, it was twice in the collection of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, also in Madrid, before being "sequestered" by the Spanish Inquisition between 1814 and 1836. The maja vestida and maja desnuda were both first cited in an 1808 inventory, when Godoy's assets were seized by King Ferdinand VII.

Background

The origins of both paintings are unclear, with some sources claiming they were commissioned by the Prime Minister Manuel de Godoy for his private collection. This claim would suggest the woman in the paintings to be Pepita Tudó, the mistress of Godoy. However, Lion Feuchtwanger, a Bavarian novelist and playwright, cites in his book Goya (1951) that Godoy allegedly purchased both of the paintings from the heirs of María Cayetana de Silva, the 13th Duchess of Alba, after her death in 1802. The Duchess of Alba and Goya were rumored to have a prolonged and passionate affair after he had been commissioned to paint a portrait of the Duchess. Evidence of their affair comes from personal letters written by Goya where he states, "Now I know how it feels to live". Another piece of evidence comes from a 1797 portrait where she is wearing two rings, one inscribed 'Goya' and the other 'Alba', on her hand pointing down towards a hidden inscription at her feet that says, "Only Goya".