Plate C: The dogs let loose on the bull, from "Tauromaquia"
Original title: Plate C: The dogs let loose on the bull, from "Tauromaquia"
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike the other plates in the 'Tauromaquia', this etching from around 1816 by Francisco de Goya does not focus on the fight between man and animal, but on a pack of dogs hunting down a bull. The audience and a mounted figure remain marginal. The print combines drypoint, aquatint, and other techniques.
Description
A bull dominates the center of the image, surrounded by several dogs that press in on him. On the left, a few people watch the action; on the right, a rider sits on horseback. The background and deep space stay dark and without clear contours, directing the eye to the main figures. Gray tones define the monochrome image, the light appears diffused, and the mood is tense.
Context
The 'Tauromaquia' series was created between 1814 and 1816, during a period of political uncertainty in Spain after the Napoleonic Wars. Goya treats various scenes of bullfighting, both historical and contemporary. In his youth he had practiced as a bullfighter himself and knew the practice from firsthand observation.
Impact
The indefinite, dark background and the diffused light give the print something immediate and threatening. Bull and dogs are arranged so that a tense, almost chaotic movement arises.
Technique
Drypoint, aquatint, and burin came together in this print. The aquatint was brushed in sections and then reworked with the burin to achieve fine tonal gradations. This combination gave Goya both precise lines and soft, atmospheric shadows.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)