Plate 14 from "La Tauromaquia": The very skillful student of Falces, wrapped in his cape, tricks the bull with the play of his body
Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) Spanish
Not on view
Goya depicts the legendary matador known as the Student of Falces (Bernardo Alcalde, born 1709) performing one of the death-defying feats that made him famous. One writer observed that he was astonishingly light and "dexterous beyond measure, especially in tricking the bulls . . . which he used to do as he spun in circles and without taking off his cloak." Goya illustrated the intensity of such a maneuver by setting both figures in an austere setting. A number of other details convey the impression of circular movement, including the swirling cape wrapping around the man’s leg and the lines that radiate from the matador’s torso.
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