The Soldier and the Lady (El militar y la señora)

The tapestry weaved from this cartoon decorated the south wall of the bedroom, together with its companion piece The Haw Seller.

The centre of the composition is filled by an elegant petimetra followed by her entourage. She is wearing a beautiful white shawl that falls down around her shoulders and a striking yellow bodice. Holding her by the hand is an elegant soldier, and two additional characters look down at them from the other side of a garden wall.

This same compositional arrangement is used by Goya in The Haw Seller. Both tapestry cartoons suggest the contrast between two quite distinct social positions, just as is also represented in the painting of The Pottery Vendor.

This work stands out for its use of highlights, despite the fact that the painting as a whole has darked over the years. Tomlinson has commented upon the evident availability of the woman in this cartoon, as in The Haw Seller.

It is possible that the cartoon was cut down on the left-hand side. Another figure, who can barely be made out here in the painting, appears in full in the resulting tapestries. This hypothesis makes sense, since the woman is directing her gaze up towards where another figure can be partially seen. However, the dimensions recorded in the different inventories that have been preserved, including those provided by Goya, do not vary significantly.