Watermark: none.
Goya's early drawings feature familiar characters: the young and seductive maja, the old bawd playing her mother, and the unsuspecting dandy. The humor lies in the contrast between the social classes and the ironic presentation of the hag as the young lady's mother. The artist's depictions of gallants interacting with majas--middle-class young women who adopted stylish dress and forthright social and sexual attitudes--attest to the increasing prevalence of women in Madrid and the conflicting regards in which these modern women were held. -- Exhibition Label, from "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection"