A partly naked woman seated by a stream; page 32 from the "Images of Spain" Album (F)
Original title: A partly naked woman seated by a stream; page 32 from the "Images of Spain" Album (F)
kurzbeschreibung
A woman sits on a rock at the edge of a stream, only partly dressed. This sheet is by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes and was probably made between 1812 and 1820. It was executed in brush, bistre and wash, with traces of red chalk still visible.
Description
Her head tilted slightly to one side, arms resting in her lap, legs loosely bent, she holds a cloth or piece of clothing in one hand. Trees and dense woodland fill the background and give the view a quiet, closed-off mood. Light enters from the left, bringing out the sitter's contours as well as the surfaces of fabric and branches. Brown governs the colouring, with accents of red added.
Context
The sheet belongs to Goya's album "Bilder von Spanien" (F), a series of sketches made roughly between 1812 and 1820. Goya worked on it in Madrid after recovering from a serious illness. These records often show scenes of everyday life and figures on the margins of Spanish society, without any idealising touches.
Impact
Because the drawing stays sketchy and the colours are muted, it feels intimate and inward-looking. The woman's posture calls up a calm, almost melancholy mood, which the dark forest behind her only deepens.
Technique
Brush and bistre, applied in washes, build volume and shadow. Traces of red chalk set accents and pick out individual details. The linework stays open and atmospheric; movement and mood come first, not the exact rendering of details.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)