A Moor Caught by the Bull in the Ring, plate 8 from 'La Tauromaquia'
Original title: A Moor Caught by the Bull in the ring, plate 8 from "La Tauromaquia"
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike most bullfighting prints in the series, this 1816 etching by Francisco de Goya puts a fighter at the centre who appears not as attacker but as the one attacked. A Moor is seized by a bull in the arena while two spectators look on. The sheet belongs to 'La Tauromaquia'.
Description
In the foreground a bull charges a man holding a staff or stick. Arms outstretched, he tries to fend off the thrust, his body in a defensive posture. Two figures in traditional dress stand behind him, watching. The layout is dynamic and focuses entirely on the struggle between animal and man. Black and white govern the image, and the light falls evenly, with no visible shadows.
Context
Goya's etching series 'La Tauromaquia' was made between 1815 and 1816 and first appeared in 1816. Its 33 plates deal with scenes from Spanish bullfighting. Goya revered the tradition and had practised as a bullfighter himself in his youth. The eighth plate takes up a historical episode going back to a bullfight in Madrid in the eighteenth century.
Impact
The dynamic arrangement and sharp contours generate tension at once. Viewers are plunged into the dramatic action without keeping their distance. Because everything is reduced to black and white, the expressive power of the scene stands out even more clearly.
Technique
Etching, drypoint and burnished aquatint come together here. The finest lines and tonal transitions become possible, supporting the realistic rendering. The plate measures 24.5 × 35 cm, the sheet 28 × 38.2 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)