Plate 11 from the ‘Tauromaquia’: The Cid campeador spearing another bull

Description

In The Cid campeador spearing another bull, a mounted rider confronts a bull with a long spear, joining the momentum of the horse to the dangerous precision of the weapon. Francisco Goya’s The Cid Campeador Spearing Another Bull draws on a legendary figure from Spanish history. The encounter gives that legend a physical immediacy, concentrating on the narrow interval between rider and animal.

Published in 1816 as plate 11 of La Tauromaquia, the print belongs to Goya’s imaginative account of bullfighting’s past. Etching and burnished aquatint make the action readable through contrasting masses and directional lines. The rider’s authority is expressed through the management of movement rather than a static emblem of rank. The scene finds its drama in a poised confrontation, where historical grandeur depends on a moment of bodily skill and exposure.

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