Plate 31 of "La Tauromaquia": Banderillas with firecrackers
Original title: Plate 31 of "La Tauromaquia": Banderillas with firecrackers
kurzbeschreibung
A bull encircled by several figures, with horsemen visible in the distance: Francisco de Goya captured this scene in 1816 in the etching 'Banderillas con cohetes,' which belongs to his series 'La Tauromaquia' as plate 31.
Description
A bull stands in the foreground, surrounded by several people caught mid-action. Their dress points to traditional bullfighting and suggests a historical performance. Behind them, more figures and riders on horseback can be made out. A crenellated wall bounds the arena. The layout feels restless; movement and the interplay of the figures take precedence.
Context
Goya made the series 'La Tauromaquia' between 1815 and 1816; it was published in 1816. It consists of 33 etchings dealing with different facets of Spanish bullfighting. This period also saw Goya's increasingly critical stance toward Spanish society, which developed after his serious illness.
Impact
The tight grouping of figures and the bull at the center generate an immediate tension. Because the light is evenly distributed and shadows are absent, the image reads as flat; the eye follows the movements of those taking part.
Technique
The plate was executed in a combination of drypoint, burnished aquatint, drypoint, and burin. The plate measures 24.7 x 35 cm, the sheet 30.8 x 43.8 cm. The black-and-white rendering matches the usual appearance of etchings.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)