Children Playing at Bullfighting (Niños jugando a los toros)

In this scene of children at play we see a recreation of a bullfight, with some of the children playing toreros whilst others pretend to be picadors, mounted on horseback. In the centre of the composition, one of the boys is imitating the bull, using a basket complete with horns to attack one of the other children, who is lying on the ground. Goya has also included within the scene a boy dressed up as a monk, another participant in this improvised bullfight.

In this canvas, the Aragonese artist has created an intense interplay of light and shade, making use of the same arched structure which we can see in other paintings.

Camón Aznar points out the existence of another painting on exactly the same theme in a private collection in Madrid. Similarly, a copy of this canvas can be found in the Santamarca Foundation, also in Madrid, but since July 2024 it is on deposit at the Goya Museum, Ibercaja Collection.

For more information, see Children playing soldiers.