Nor does it distinguish it

A maja dressed in black is being courted by a man standing next to her who approaches her and looks at her with a monocle. His posture and the expression on his face suggest his libidinous intentions as well as his somewhat incautious nature. Further back, seated in a chair, a woman can be seen holding a fan in one of her hands and gazing at her with an absorbed air. In the space between the man and the female figure, at waist level, a face appears, attentively observing the scene. The scene could be taking place in the open air; using aquatint, Goya has captured the sky in which a cloud hovers in the upper right corner of the print. He has also depicted the dark clothes of the maja with a profuse use of etching, which contrasts with the man's light clothes.

Ayala's manuscript states that this engraving represents that "to know what is, the eyeglass is not enough, judgement is needed". In the Prado Museum's manuscript it is noted that "How is she to be distinguished? To know what she is, the eyeglass is not enough, it needs judgement and practice of the world, and this is precisely what the poor gentleman lacks". Finally, the manuscript in the National Library indicates that "lustful men are so blinded that even with a lens they cannot distinguish that the lady they are giving as a gift is a harlot".

As in other engravings in this series, Goya makes a veiled allusion to prostitution and in this case also refers to the naivety of some men who are unable to distinguish when they are in the presence of a prostitute and when they are not. He courts her without realising that the woman's interest in the relationship is purely economic. The scene is being watched by an old woman in the background of the engraving who, in all likelihood, could be the procuress.

It is possible that one of the visual sources to which Goya may have had recourse for the characterisation of the types was Les Incroyables, which Louis Darcis engraved between 1796 and 1797 based on the work of Carle Vernet (Bordeaux, 1758-Paris, 1835). He may also have been familiar with an anonymous engraving produced in the late 18th century entitled The Petimetra in the Prado in Madrid (Madrid City Hall), of which the Aragonese painter may have made a distorted and critical version.