Bullfighter with a Calañés Hat

The figure represents a standing bullfighter at rest with his right hand on his hip whilst his left hand makes as though to hold the cape. He wares the classical suit of many Malaga clay figures: bright blue jacket with toggles and fringes, yellow waistcoat, white shirt and a red tie, black breeches and country boots. / European travellers arrived in Spain in search of the most exotic and folkloric aspects of the country. Their personal vision of Andalusia would be perfectly reflected in these ‘modest’ Malaga clay figures that nonetheless were one of the most relevant productions in Spanish sculpture of the 19th century. Numerous sculptors from Malaga made their works with a specific final customer in mind: the foreign tourists and the bourgeoisie from the cities, anxious to acquire bibelots to decorate their city homes. Among these artists, the family saga Cubero dominated such production throughout all of the 19th century, together with the Gutiérrez de León. This Bullfighter was made by José Cubero Gabardón I, who was in charge of the family workshop following the death of his brother, Miguel, and whose work was widely recognised.