2-645-750 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

'La Maja Desnuda', (The Naked Maja), c.1797-1800, (c1934). Possibly commissioned by Manuel de Godoy, to hang in his private collection An image of Venus in the nude, reclining on green velvet with a bed of pillows. Legend has it this was the Duchess of Alba, but the sitter has been identified as Pepita Also Tudo, who was Godoy's mistress from 1797. The painting is renowned for the straightforward and unashamed gaze of the model towards the viewer. Oil on canvas. Held at the Museo del Prado, Madrid. From Galerias De Europa: Museo Del Prado, by A. De Beruete y Moret & Augusto L. Mayer. [Editorial Labor, S.A., Barcelona, c1934]