Plate 23 from "La Tauromaquia": Mariano Ceballos, alias the Indian, kills the bull from his horse

Little is known about Mariano Ceballos, the toreador who appears in this print. Apparently born in Peru, he spent much of his career in Spain, where he had become famous by the 1770s for his eccentric and audacious behavior in the ring, such as riding saddled bulls and fighting them with short daggers. Several Tauromaquia scenes are characterized by the dominance of light tonalities and an overall impression of emptiness. By contrast, this print began dark and then was leavened by highlights, a method similar to Goya’s lithographic technique. He added aquatint to the plate in various viscosities to increase the depth of space and to heighten the dramatic effect.