Plate 20 from "La Tauromaquia": The agility and audacity of Juanito Apiñani in [the ring] at Madrid

Original title: Plate 20 from "La Tauromaquia": The agility and audacity of Juanito Apiñani in [the ring] at Madrid

Artist: Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
Date: 1816
Medium: Etching, aquatint
Dimensions: Plate: 9 5/8 × 13 7/8 in. (24.5 × 35.3 cm) Sheet: 12 1/16 × 17 3/16 in. (30.7 × 43.7 cm)
Credit line: Rogers Fund, 1921

kurzbeschreibung

Juanito Apiñani hangs in mid-air above a charging bull, gripping his banderillas — plate 20 from Francisco de Goya's series "La Tauromaquia". The etching and aquatint, made in 1816, catches the instant the bullfighter sails over the animal.

Description

A bull lunges forward while a man floats above it, still clutching the shafts. Behind them, spectators on the stands follow the action. Black on white, as etching and aquatint dictate; the lines vary in pressure and carry the movement and force of the moment.

Context

Goya's bullfighting series "La Tauromaquia" was made between 1815 and 1816 and first published that same year; it deals with the history and customs of the Spanish arena. Apiñani ranked among the well-known matadors of his day, and Goya recorded his performances in pictures. The series is often read as a critical view of the violence and public spectacle of bullfighting.

Impact

The bull's taut posture and the hovering man create immediate tension. The shifting weight of the strokes gives the sheet something alive, almost dramatic. With no colour, the eye goes straight to the movements and to the relationship between man and animal.

Technique

The sheet was printed as an etching with aquatint — a process that allows fine gradations of tone. The aquatint lays down soft, flat areas of tone, while the etching needle supplies precise contours and detail. Together they serve equally for the shadows of the arena and the delicate movements of the figures.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)