The Duchess of Alba

Goya executed several well-known portraits of María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba (1762-1802). In this portrait, the duchess is thirty-five. Her husband had died the year before, and she is dressed in mourning attire. On the ground, written in the soil, is "solo Goya" ("only Goya"), which might allude to a romantic relationship between artist and subject.