"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The canvas has been lined in the past to consolidate and reinforce a substantial horizontal tear, upper right, which extends down through the sitter's face. There are other minor tears to the background, left, and lower right. All are restored but are apparent as the lining has degraded. The paint surface is stable but raised in areas, most particularly to the left hand side. Under U-V light a scattering of retouchings can be seen across the surface, to hide the damage caused by the tears but also to mask minor paint losses particularly to the white dress of the figure and to her face. The impasto is generally in a good condition as is most of the paint, the damages aside. A tonal improvement would be achieved with the removal of the varnish."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

The composition is closely based on Goya's depiction of the Maja Vestida in the Prado, Madrid.¹ The original was painted by Goya circa 1800-1805 as a reaction to the public outrage caused by his earlier painting, La Maja Desnuda, which shows the same woman, in the same pose but naked, and which now hangs as a pendant to the former painting in the Prado. Despite public protest, Goya allegedly refused to paint clothes on the Maja Desnuda and instead created an entirely new painting of the same subject clothed.♉

The Majas are traditionally thought to portray the Duchess of Alba but there is no evidence that they belonged to her, and still less that they represented her. However, the paintings do appear in the 1808 inventory of the possessions of Manuel de Godoy, who was the duchess' lover, where they are referred to as Gitanas (gypsies). In 1808 the paintings were seized by King Ferdinand VI, and in 1813💃 they were confiscated by the🦩 Inquisition due to their "obscene" subject matter.

A smღall version of this composition, on silver, was sold in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Claude Aguttes, 25 June, 2007, lot 24.

1. For which see P. Gassier & J. Wilson, Goya. His Life and Work, London 1971, p. 19ꦜ4, no. 744, reproduced in 🐻colour p. 153.