They loose dogs on the bull
Original title: Plate 25 from "La Tauromaquia": They loose dogs on the bull
kurzbeschreibung
Plate 25 from La Tauromaquia, made in 1816, shows how dogs are set upon a bull. For this motif Goya used a mix of etching, etched aquatint and drypoint, partly with burnished areas. The animals clash with a rider in a wooden arena.
Description
In the foreground several dogs crowd around a massive bull, its body rendered with clearly worked-out musculature. Behind the animals a rider pursues the bull, while a wooden structure suggests fencing or a stable. Black and white dominate the image; light falls evenly without harsh shadows, bringing out the flatness of the sheet.
Context
Between 1815 and 1816 Goya made his series La Tauromaquia, published in 1816, which tells the history of Spanish bullfighting. This 25th plate belongs to those scenes in which dogs are set on bulls—a common practice at the time. Goya, himself a bullfighting enthusiast, recorded such events and took a critical look at the violence.
Impact
The movements of the animals and the rider create immediate tension. Because everything is reduced to black and white and the light remains flat, the print feels matter-of-fact, almost like a report that presents the brutality soberly.
Technique
Etching, etched aquatint, drypoint and burnished areas interlock and allow fine tonal steps as well as precise details. This makes it possible to achieve both sharp contours and broad gray values, which brings out the surface of the bull's hide and the movement of the figures.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)