A Young Woman Dancing, Her Arms Raised, a Bull in the Background; folio 23 (recto) from the Madrid Album "B"
Original title: A young woman dancing, her arms raised, a bull in the background; folio 23 (recto) from the Madrid Album "B"
kurzbeschreibung
A young woman dances with her arms raised high; behind her stands a bull. This sheet belongs to Francisco de Goya y Lucientes's Madrid Album B and was made in 1796–97. It was executed with brush and carbon black washes.
Description
The dancer occupies the middle. Her long hair falls loose, and a simple dress is held at the neck by a bow or band. Her arms are lifted wide, the movement emphasized by loose brushwork. Behind her a calm bull stands before a wall that is only hinted at. The layout remains monochrome; various shades of gray structure the surface, and the light feels even, without harsh contrasts.
Context
This sheet comes from Madrid Album B, one of eight albums of drawings Goya made between 1796 and 1797. At the time he was in Andalusia, observing scenes of popular life and daily routine. The albums were intended as personal sketchbooks, not commissioned works. The dancing woman with a bull points to Iberian festival and dance culture.
Impact
The loose brushwork and the figure's emphatic movement give the drawing an immediate liveliness. The quietly rendered bull stands in tension with the woman's dynamic pose, yet no rupture arises—the image remains harmonious.
Technique
Brush and carbon black, applied as washes on paper, produce the gray tones. Different intensities of ink yield varying degrees of lightness; fine brush tips set down details such as hair and dress. This allows both precise lines and soft, broad areas of shading.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)