Plate 1 from ‘The Tauromaquia’: The way in which the ancient Spaniards hunted bulls on horseback in the open country

Description

Tauromaquia Plate 1 by Francisco Goya sets a mounted hunter and a bull against a rugged, open landscape. The long lance cuts diagonally across the scene, connecting the rider’s tense posture with the animal’s lowered head. A second figure presses into the encounter, adding to its sense of precarious movement.

Made in 1816, this opening image of La Tauromaquia imagines an early stage in the history of Spanish bull hunting. The rider’s animal-skin clothing and the mountainous setting give the scene a deliberately remote character. Through etching, aquatint and drypoint, Goya balances finely drawn action with broad areas of light, creating an image that feels both spacious and intensely focused.

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