Plate 28 of the “Tauromaquia”: The forceful Rendon stabs a bull with the pique, from which pass he died in the ring at Madrid

Description

Tauromaquia Plate 28 by Francisco Goya catches a mounted lancer and bull at the instant of collision. The horse rears sharply, the rider leans forward with his long lance, and the bull stretches into the charge. Around them, assistants and spectators react in a scattered pattern of gestures and faces.

Created in 1816 for La Tauromaquia, the plate depicts Rendon’s dangerous pass in the ring at Madrid. The steep diagonal of the lance cuts across the curving bodies of horse and bull, giving the composition its urgent momentum. Goya contrasts pale open ground with a dark band of spectators, making the central encounter feel exposed, immediate and precariously balanced.

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