Getty Museum

Bullfight, Suerte de Varas

Date

1824

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

Spanish

Department

Paintings

Institution

Getty Museum

Object ID

9e5be3cc-da43-4120-aa33-420fda2e42e0

Before a mesmerized crowd, man and beast dramatically confront one another. The fiercely determined *picador* leans forward and gathers all his strength, readying himself to stab the impassive bull with his sharp lance. Dying or wounded animals lie on the ground, and the bloody undersides of the *picador's* horse convey the abusive and violent aspects of the sport of bullfighting. The bull coolly eyes his opponent as a group of fearful men try to distract the savage animal. Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes painted this work late in his career when he had begun experimenting with different techniques. Showing remarkable freedom, Goya used a heavily loaded brush, a palette knife, a rag, and even his fingers to apply paint to the canvas. Thick black strokes of paint suggest tension and movement, while dark shadows and a faceless crowd in the background lend an ominous air to this emotional confrontation.

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