A Picador Caught by a Bull

This 1825 print by Francisco de Goya is part of The Bulls of Bordeaux, a series of four lithographs: Spanish Entertainment; The Famous American, Mariano Ceballos; A Picador Caught by a Bull; and Bullfight in a Divided Ring. The Huesca Museum is one of the few institutions to have a complete set. It was part of the collection donated by Valentín Carderera. The lithography technique allowed Goya to work more quickly and freely. These prints show a strong use of chiaroscuro, which is typical of the predominantly expressionist style of his later work. This piece, known in Spanish as Bravo Toro or Brave Bull, uses the animal's victims to convey its ferocity. They are a picador bullfighter on horseback, his horse, and another man who has been gored and hangs from the bull's left horn like a rag. Meanwhile, the terrified spectators flee in the background.