Plate 15 from the ‘Tauromaquia’: The famous Martincho places the banderillas playing the bull with the movement of his body.

Description

Martincho works close to the bull, using the movement of his body as part of placing the banderillas. Francisco Goya makes the proximity between performer and animal the center of the scene. The action depends on timing and balance, with the figure’s exposed position giving every gesture a sense of consequence.

Published in 1816 as plate 15 of La Tauromaquia, the etching and burnished aquatint record a named bullfighter’s celebrated technique. Goya’s interest lies in the body’s practical intelligence rather than a static portrait of fame. The scene remains compelling because the skill is inseparable from danger: success requires entering the animal’s immediate reach. The print gives that brief encounter a lasting form, allowing agility and vulnerability to remain visible together within a moment that could quickly change.