Francisco de Goya

The courageous Moor Gazul is the first one to lance bulls properly

Clasificación
The courageous Moor Gazul is the first one to lance bulls properly
Datos Generales
Cronología
1814 - 1816
Dimensiones
246 x 353 mm
Técnica y soporte
Aguafuerte, aguatinta, punta seca y bruñidor
Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
Documented work
Ficha: realización/revisión
01 Oct 2021 / 22 Jun 2023
Inventario
-
Inscripciones

5 (print, upper right-hand corner)

Historia

See How the ancient Spaniards hunted bulls on horseback in the countryside

A state proof made before the aquatint was applied is preserved. Harris mentions proofs prior to the first edition with similar characteristics to this state proof.

The plate is kept at the National Chalcography.

Análisis artístico

See How the ancient Spaniards hunted bulls on horseback in the countryside

The print is part of the subgroup, within the group of "historical" scenes of bullfighting (Nos. 1-11), dedicated to the bullfighting of the Moors (Nos. 3-8 and 17). It depicts a fight scene between the Moor Gazul, who is on horseback, and a bull that is charging him. Gazul is stabbing the bull with both hands with a spear that pierces through the bull's lower part. The horse has one of its hind legs practically bent and is turned, looking at the bull. Goya uses a marked contrast of light, with very marked light and shadow, against a totally white background.

Gazul has been depicted as a Turk or Mamluk of the Napoleonic army. There is no agreement on the historicity of this character, who some authors place at the court of the king of Seville in the years 1050-1090, and others relate to legendary Moorish romances set in Granada in the 15th-century. 

Lafuente Ferrari classifies this scene among those that narrate the beginnings of bullfighting and considers that it would illustrate the famous bullfighting text by Nicolás F. de Moratín, as well as comparing the posture of the protagonist with that of How the ancient Spaniards hunted bulls on horseback in the countryside.

Martínez-Novillo links this print with others of a chivalric theme, such as  Charles V lancing a bull in the bullring of Valladolid

Several authors, including Harris, Gassier and Lafuente Ferrari, state that there is a previous drawing of this print, also entitled The courageous Moor Gazul is the first one to lance bulls properly, which belonged to Yriarte and was published in the magazine L'Art (1877, volume II, p. 79), but whose whereabouts are unknown at present.

Tomlinson relates the print to Manet's painting Victorin Meurent in Sword Costume, in which the scene of the engraving appears in the background of the portrait.. 

Conservación

There are certain bald spots on the blacks, especially on the bull, which can be seen in the printings from 1855 onwards and which are probably related to some accident on the plates or to clumsily executed retouches.

Exposiciones
  • Grabados y dibujos de Goya en la Biblioteca Nacional
    Biblioteca Nacional
    Madrid
    1946
    catalogue Elena Páez Ríos
  • Boston
    1974
  • 1975
  • Goya en la Biblioteca Nacional. Exposición de grabados y dibujos en el sesquicentenario de su muerte
    Biblioteca Nacional
    Madrid
    1978
    May - June 1978
  •  Grabados de Goya: colección propiedad de la Biblioteca Nacional, que se conserva en su Gabinete de
    Casa de la Amistad de Moscú
    Moscow
    1979
    exhibition displayed from January 18th to 31st 1979
  • 1984
  • Madrid
    1987
  • Madrid
    1990
  • Goya grabador
    Fundación Juan March
    Madrid
    1994
    consultant editors Alfonso E. Pérez Sánchez and Julián Gállego, from January 14th to March 20th 1994
  • Goya grabador
    Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo
    Marbella
    1996
    from March 8th to May 5th 1996
  • Zaragoza
    1996
  • Schlaf der Vernunft. Original radierungen von Francisco de Goya
    Munich
    2000
  • Madrid
    2002
  • Madrid
    2002
  • Bilbao
    2012
  • Zaragoza
    2017
Bibliografía
  • LAFUENTE FERRARI, Enrique
    1946
    pp. 177-216, espec. pp. 185 y 189
  • HARRIS, Tomás
    OxfordBruno Cassirer
    1964
    vol. II, 1964, pp. 318, cat. 208
  • GASSIER, Pierre y WILSON, Juliet
    Vie et ouvre de Francisco de Goya
    ParísOffice du livre
    1970
    p. 277, cat. 1157
  • GASSIER, Pierre
    Goya, toros y toreros
    MadridMinisterio de Cultura, Comunidad de Madrid
    1990
    p. 88, cat. 19
  • MARTÍNEZ-NOVILLO, Álvaro
    MadridCaser-Turner
    1992
    pp. 30 y 39
  • MATILLA, José Manuel y MEDRANO, José Miguel
    MadridMuseo Nacional del Prado
    2001
    pp. 48-50
  • WILSON BAREAU, Juliet
    Goya. In the Norton Simon Museum
    PasadenaNorton Simon Museum
    2016
    pp. 186-201
Enlaces externos
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