Maja and Celestina on a Balcony (Maja y celestina al balcón)

We are presented with the almost full-length portrayal of a beautiful young woman with blond hair who is leaning on the iron railing of a balcony, showing off her figure. She is wearing a grey gown with a gold edging, displaying a generous cleavage. On her left, further away from the railing, is an old woman with a mischievous look on her face who is holding a rosary while she looks for business. The right-hand side of the composition is closed off by a grey curtain, and the dark interior with no details or furniture, do not allow the viewer to see what kind of room it is.

The figure of the young woman is reminiscent of the maja Goya painted in the frescoes for the Chapel of San Antonio de la Florida in Madrid. She also resembles some figures in the Caprices series in which Goya also dealt with the subject of the prostitute and the procuress.

It has been suggested that the reappearance of these sensual young women in Goya's work during these years was perhaps motivated by his affair with the young Leocadia Weiss, and it is possible that the main figure in The Letter is her portrait.

The inscription marking this painting as the property of Javier Goya, "X 24", is no longer visible on the canvas, but was originally located on the lower left-hand corner.