Plate 26 from the ‘Tauromaquia’:A picador is unhorsed and falls under the bull

Description

In A picador is unhorsed and falls under the bull, a picador has fallen beneath the bull, bringing the mounted performer’s apparent advantage to a sudden end. Francisco Goya’s A Picador Is Unhorsed and Falls Under the Bull concentrates on the reversal of control. The fallen position makes danger immediate, with the animal’s proximity altering the entire character of the scene.

Published in 1816 as plate 26 of La Tauromaquia, the etching and burnished aquatint belong to the series’ direct examination of mishap as well as accomplishment. Goya allows the consequences of an unsuccessful maneuver to occupy the center of the spectacle. The image is compelling because the shift is so physical: a rider who had operated from above is now exposed below. Its drama rests in that changed relationship, where the arena’s familiar roles no longer provide protection.

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