Maja seated on a chair and two companions behind 1795 - 1797

Francisco de Goya rendered this sketch with graphite on paper. It's a traditional combination, yet the artist's assured hand transforms it into a study charged with social commentary. Goya's choice of graphite allows for the layering of tones, from the softest grays to the deepest blacks, creating a sense of depth and volume. The rapid strokes suggest a fleeting moment, capturing the essence of the scene with immediacy. The subject of the sketch, a Maja, was a figure associated with the working classes, yet known for an elaborate style of dress. Goya frequently depicted Majas in his paintings, prints and drawings, often with sardonic undertones. In this sketch the choice of medium and the drawing’s execution is critical to its impact. Graphite enables Goya to suggest the social complexities of class, fashion, and identity, all within the compass of this intimate sketch. It prompts us to see the connections between material, making, and meaning, and to question the traditional hierarchies of art.