Majas and Celestina on a Balcony Leonardo Alenza y Nieto

The romanticist painter Alenza y Nieto is considered one of Goya’s most talented followers. ln this work, the tragically short-lived artist recreated a favoured subject of his idol: majas, that is, young girls dressed in lavish clothes looking out from a balcony onto the street. ln the nine­teenth century, this was the colloquial name given to the young inhabitants of Madrid’s outskirts. The elderly woman behind them is Celestina, a familiar character from classical Spanish literature. The old procuress would arrange dates for young people – in most cases for money. ln the painting, she is whispering something in the ear of the still shy-looking girl: she is probably recommending to her a young man watching from the street.