Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando

The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando enters the novel’s account of Goya’s Maja paintings as an institution of restricted display: both works hung there for decades, but the nude Maja was never shown to the public. Its history connects the paintings’ changing visibility to the later revelation of their likeness to Ana.

The Paintings at the Academy

José explains that the paintings remained at the Academy from 1836 until 1901. During that period, the clothed and nude versions were both kept there, but the nude painting was not publicly exhibited. The distinction makes the Academy more than a point on the works’ institutional itinerary: it marks a boundary between possession and public visibility, especially for the image of the unclothed woman.

Transfer to the Prado

In 1901, both paintings moved to the Prado. Even after that transfer, the nude Maja initially hung in a room with restricted access. The account therefore presents public exposure as gradual rather than immediate: the painting’s move from the Academy did not at once make it freely visible.

Place in the Narrative

José’s explanation comes during Frank’s effort to learn about the paintings and their possible model. Though he asks about their history, he admits that his attention remains fixed on Ana. The Academy’s brief appearance thus supplies a concrete history of the paintings’ display while the conversation approaches the question of who the image represents. The institution’s record of withholding the nude work from public view echoes the larger narrative’s movement between concealed histories and recognition.