Although
majos of both sexes were frequent subjects of painter
Francisco Goya, two of his
majas,
La maja vestida and
La maja desnuda (the same model, clothed and nude respectively), would gain international renown. The outfit of the
maja would influence the costume of the eponymous protagonist of
Georges Bizet's French opera
Carmen in the mid-19th century. In the 20th century, with the popularization of Spain as a tourist destination, the
manola or
maja, often holding a
folding fan, increasingly gained recognition as the image of a stereotypical traditional Spanish woman. Thus the
maja became one of the popular and informal symbols of Spain, along with the
bullfighter, who took the place of the
majo. Some of the 20th-century depictions of the
maja became somewhat assimilated into the
flamenco dancer (
la bailaora). Nowadays, the increasing popularity of the
maja has ended up eclipsing that of the
majo. The image of a
maja was the trademark of the Jabón Maja Myrurgia
soap, one of the classical souvenirs from Spain. The brand's portrait of the
maja in the soap boxes and wrappings was based on the person of
Carmen Tórtola Valencia (1882–1955), a famous Spanish dancer of the early 20th century. ==Gallery==