The Celebrated Picador, Fernando del Toro, Draws the Fierce Beast On with His Pique - Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes

A detailed etching from Goya's La Tauromaquia series, capturing the tense confrontation between a picador and a bull in the arena.

This etching belongs to the series titled La Tauromaquia, a collection of thirty-three prints documenting the history and practice of bullfighting in Spain. Francisco Goya produced these works between 1815 and 1816, employing a combination of etching, aquatint, and drypoint to capture the tension of the arena.

In this specific plate, Goya depicts Fernando del Toro, a noted picador of the period. The composition focuses on the interaction between the mounted horseman and the bull. The picador holds his pique, a long lance used to weaken the bull, while the animal stands in a confrontational stance. Goya uses the aquatint process to create atmospheric depth, suggesting the dusty environment of the ring and the hazy presence of the crowd in the background. The figures are rendered with precise, economical lines that convey the physical strain of the encounter.

Unlike earlier depictions of bullfighting that focused on the spectacle, Goya provides a stark, observational account of the sport. The contrast between the light-filled centre of the ring and the darker, shadowed areas creates a sense of immediate drama. The work reflects Goya's interest in the visceral nature of public spectacles and his technical mastery of printmaking. The plate is numbered 27 in the series, consistent with the standard catalogue of his graphic works. This print offers a view into the technical skill Goya applied to his later graphic series, where he moved away from traditional narrative styles toward a more direct, unflinching representation of his subjects.