The Washerwomen (Las lavanderas)

The Washerwomen was one of the main tapestries on the north wall of the antechamber, along with The Swing.

A group of washerwomen take a rest from their work to sit by the riverbank. The head of a lamb appears between the women and one of them holds the animal by a horn. Tomlinson sees some very clear sexual connotations in this scene, including symbols that Goya would have been aware of through some works in the library of his brother-in-law Francisco and which would not have escaped the attention of viewers at the time. The washerwoman was considered to be of the lower class, just like the majas, and her reputation would have been doubtful. As such, her appearance here is a representation of female lasciviousness. In fact, there existed a royal decree at the time prohibiting the washerwomen working along the Manzanares river from attracting the attention of passers-by with their provocative gestures. The presence of the ram would have been to make reference to its horns, which implied an offence for Spaniards in Goya's time. It seems clear that these details would not have been overlooked by viewers of the time.

Of particular interest in this painting are the quality of the colouring, the dramatic sky, and the tones reminiscent of the work of Velázquez, as pointed out by Sambricio, in the background landscape.

Around 37 cm has been lost from the height of the work compared to the size of the tapestry and to the dimensions on the invoice that Goya delivered to the Royal Tapestry Factory.