Plate 24 of the ‘Tauromaquia’: The same Ceballos mounted on another bull breaks short spears in the ring at Madrid.

Description

Tauromaquia Plate 24 by Francisco Goya brings a dramatic encounter into focus. Ceballos rides a dark bull as it surges toward another animal, his upright figure balanced above a powerful tangle of horns and legs. The pale trousers stand out against the dark flank beneath him, making the rider the focus of the composition. Sparse surroundings give the two animals room to dominate, and the long shadow anchors their explosive movement.

Created by Francisco Goya in 1816, this plate from La Tauromaquia depicts Ceballos breaking short spears while mounted on a bull in the Madrid ring. Etching, burnished aquatint, drypoint and burin combine delicate surface detail with broad areas of tone. The scene brings together extraordinary balance, physical force and the uncertainty of the next instant.