The Flirtation (Coloquio galante)

A young couple walks together with a playful air through the countryside. The figures are depicted full length, as if the viewer were contemplating them at a distance. The woman is dressed in an elegant black outfit with a red sash and light coloured clogs. Her abundant hair is covered with a black veil, and she holds a fan in her hand, as if toying with it, while she leans slightly towards her suitor with her back to him. The man is wearing a beige frock coat and boots, and carries his hat in his hand. These figures have often been identified as the Duchess of Alba and Goya himself, above all due to the woman's attire, which is the same as that worn by the duchess in the famous portrait painted by the Aragonese painter, although there is no other evidence for this theory.

The execution of the two, in particular the female figure, is akin to the drawings of Albums A and B, known as the Sanlúcar Album and Madrid Album respectively. Both date from 1796-97, and for this reason it is likely that the date of this small genre painting is similar, perhaps a little earlier, given that Goya's trip to the south of Spain in 1793 may have provided the inspiration for these works.

There is another version of The Flirtation in the Agen Museum, considered to be an original Goya by some authors such as Gudiol (although it is likely to be a copy).