Plate 23 from the ‘Tauromaquia’: Mariano Ceballos, alias the Indian, kills the bull from his horse.

Description

In Mariano Ceballos, alias the Indian, kills the bull from his horse, a mounted rider directs his weapon toward a bull, bringing horse and human into a close, forceful confrontation. Francisco Goya identifies the performer as Mariano Ceballos, known as the Indian. The meeting of the animals’ bodies gives the scene its physical weight, while the rider’s action establishes a decisive direction through the encounter.

Published in 1816 as plate 23 of La Tauromaquia, the etching and burnished aquatint focus on a celebrated bullfighter’s mounted technique. Goya lets the horse’s movement become part of the performer’s skill, making the action a coordinated effort rather than a solitary gesture. The image’s intensity comes from proximity, where the space between rider and bull is narrow enough to make both control and exposure palpable. Fame here takes the form of an immediate bodily undertaking.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Goya collection.