Plate 6 from ‘The Tauromaquia’: The Moors make a different play in the ring calling the bull with their burnous.

Description

In The Moors Calling the Bull with Their Burnous, figures lure a bull with their burnous, making the movement of cloth an active element in the encounter. Francisco Goya’s scene gives the animal’s force a counterpoint in the participants’ coordinated gestures. The fabric becomes a temporary focus for attention, allowing human strategy and the bull’s response to meet in a narrow interval.

Published in 1816 as plate 6 of La Tauromaquia, the print forms part of Goya’s account of different historical practices in the ring. The title identifies the participants as Moors and emphasizes their distinctive technique. Etching and burnished aquatint give the action weight without obscuring its directions. The scene’s interest lies in that management of distance, where a pliable garment is used to shape the movement of a much more powerful body.

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