The Maja Summary

Novalis was a painter who married a beautiful Spanish woman named Maria, who reminded him of the woman in The Maja Desnuda painted by Goya. Novalis wants to paint his wife naked but she is modest. She agrees to model for him one time but is ashamed of herself and asks him to paint a different face on her. She refuses to let him have any other models to paint in the nude. The relationship between Maria and Novalis becomes strained because of his desire to see her body and her refusal.

The doctor is called for Maria because she is having trouble sleeping. The doctor prescribes pills to help her sleep. Novalis soon discovers that Maria is unresponsive in this state and he begins to undress her and pose her for paintings and then cover her up before she awakens...