Plate 1 from "La Tauromaquia": The way in which the ancient Spaniards hunted bulls on horseback in the open country
This print belongs to the group of thirteen scenes surveying the history of Spanish bullfighting that opens Tauromaquia. Goya attempted to evoke its origins in this print, showing an early Spaniard dressed in animal skins on horseback, riding in a mountainous setting. The awkward way the figure holds the lance underscores the rudimentary beginnings of bullfighting; it was thought to have been introduced to Spain when the Iberian Peninsula was under the rule of the Romans or the Moors.
Artwork Details
- Title: Plate 1 from "La Tauromaquia": The way in which the ancient Spaniards hunted bulls on horseback in the open country
- Series/Portfolio: La Tauromaquia
- Artist: Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) (Spanish, Fuendetodos 1746–1828 Bordeaux)
- Date: 1816
- Medium: Etching, aquatint, drypoint
- Dimensions: Plate: 9 3/4 x 13 3/4 in. (24.8 x 35 cm)
Sheet: 12 x 17 3/16 in. (30.5 x 43.7 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1921
- Object Number: 21.19.1
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.