Last Thursday night Dr. Amanda Wunder from the University of New Hampshire gave a lecture here at the Nashua Public Library entitled "Spain in the Time of Zorro." She talked about the history of Spain in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the time during which the novel "Zorro" takes place. She cleverly illustrated her talk with slides of works by the Spanish painter Goya, including portraits of members of the royal families of Spain at the time, depictions of war, and an interesting portrait named "The Clothed Maja."

Take a look at "The Clothed Maja." As Dr. Wunder pointed out, Isabel Allende's description of the character Julianna, with her white dress and watermelon sash, bears a striking resemblance to the model in the painting. Was the author looking at the works of Goya as she wrote? That's what Dr. Wunder thinks.

If you view other Goya paintings, such as "The Family of Charles IV," you'll get a pretty good idea of what some of the other clothing worn by the aristocrats in the book may have looked like. (French novelist Theòphile Gautier is said to have declared that this painting looked like the corner baker and his wife after winning the lottery.)

Goya also painted a number of graphic, violent scenes of the battles and bloodshed of the fight between Spain and France during this period. Particularly famous are his paintings "The Second of May 1808" and "The Third of May 1808," which can be seen here.