Who else has given up?

In the centre of the scene, a maja dressed in a mantilla and black frilly skirt is being courted by a knight with a sword at his belt and a hat in his hand. In the background, two other young women observe the situation and next to them a celestina whispers with a man. Next to the couple, in the foreground, some small dogs parody their courtship. The figures are set against an almost abstract background, as the buildings that were present in the preparatory drawing for the print, Dream No. 18, Ancient and Modern, Origin of Pride, have disappeared.

In Ayala's manuscript it is stated that this engraving is of the Duchess of Alba and Goya, while the Prado Museum manuscript states: "Neither one nor the other. He is a charlatan of love who says the same thing to everyone, and she is thinking of evacuating 5 appointments that she has given between 8 and 9 and it is 7 1/2 o'clock". Finally, reference should be made to the manuscript in the Biblioteca Nacional, which states that "a casquivano, when he solicits a woman, makes the same grimaces and cajoleries with her as a lapdog (Duchess of Alba and Goya)".

It is likely that this picture is an ironic way of depicting relations between men and women. In any case, it is difficult to admit that the painter was referring to his possible relationship with the Duchess of Alba, as most of the prints in the series of The Caprices show a marked tendency towards abstraction that gives the themes a clear universality.