The Naked Maja

2/22/2026

Set against the backdrop of political intrigues at the court of Charles IV and with Napoleon breathing down their Spanish necks, this rather sterile drama tells of the Duchess of Alba (Ava Gardner) and her relationship with acclaimed artist Francisco de Goya. Her Highness had an habit of heading out of an evening and mixing with the public in a taverna, and that’s where she encounters Goya (Anthony Franciosa) after he finds himself involved in a boozy brawl. Next thing, the King (Gino Cervi) and the obviously sceptical Queen (Lea Padovani) have arrived to inspect some of his groundbreaking church frescos and appointed him court painter. This gives him ready access to the palace to paint the Bourbon family and, of course, to develop his rapport with the royal duchess. Meantime, her behaviou