Francisco de Goya

Moorish palenque made with donkeys to defend themselves from the bull (preparatory drawing)

Clasificación
Moorish palenque made with donkeys to defend themselves from the bull (preparatory drawing)
Datos Generales
Cronología
Ca. 1814 - 1816
Ubicación
The Prado National Museum. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Dimensiones
184 x 293 mm
Técnica y soporte
Reconocimiento de la autoría de Goya
Documented work
Titular
El Prado National Museum
Ficha: realización/revisión
01 Oct 2021 / 22 Jun 2023
Inventario
(D4302)
Inscripciones

14 (in pencil, bottom right-hand corner)

Historia

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

This preparatory drawing passed by inheritance in 1828 to Javier Goya, the painter's son, and in 1854 to Mariano Goya y Goicoechea, the artist's grandson. It was subsequently owned by Valentín Carderera (ca. 1861) and Mariano Carderera (1880). In 1886 it was acquired from Mariano Carderera, along with many other drawings by Goya, including almost all the preparatory studies for the Bullfight, by the Directorate General of Public Instruction, and was assigned to the Prado Museum, where it entered on 12 November 1886.

Análisis artístico

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

Preparatory drawing of the print Moorish palenque made with donkeys to defend themselves from the bull. It has certain differences with the engraving, the main one being the presence of a character later eliminated in the final work.

According to Gassier, the scene is representative of the Islamic period in Spain, when combat between bull and man took place without rules. Here we see five figures dressed as Mamluks facing the bull, who is at the centre of the composition and has an upside-down donkey between his horns. To his right is another donkey lying on the ground, probably wounded, and a Moor with a pike spearing the bull. To his left is a group of three Moors who are also spearing the bull, and behind him is another Moor who will be eliminated when the drawing is transferred to the plate. Finally, in the background we find another donkey lying on the ground, probably badly wounded, in front of the barrier that delimits the bullring, which is similar to the one we will see later in the engraving, although in this case with a shallower resolution.

The study of the animals, their postures and movements, is the most interesting aspect of this preparatory drawing.

Exposiciones
  • Goya: toros y toreros
    Espace Van Gogh
    Arles
    1990
    displayed also at Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid, consultant editor Pierre Gassier.
  • Madrid
    1990
  • Madrid
    2002
Bibliografía
  • LAFUENTE FERRARI, Enrique
    1946
    pp. 177-216, espec. pp. 197-198
  • SÁNCHEZ CANTÓN. Francisco Javier
    MadridMuseo del Prado
    1954
    n. 169
  • LAFUENTE FERRARI, Enrique
    ParísLe Club Français du Livre
    1963
    p. 92
  • GASSIER, Pierre y WILSON, Juliet
    Vie et ouvre de Francisco de Goya
    ParísOffice du livre
    1970
    p. 278, cat. 1185
  • LAFUENTE FERRARI, Enrique
    Barcelona
    1974
    p. 15
  • GASSIER, Pierre
    Dibujos de Goya, 2 vols
    BarcelonaNoguer
    1975
    pp. 368-369, cat. 259
  • MATILLA, José Manuel y MEDRANO, José Miguel
    MadridMuseo Nacional del Prado
    2001
    pp. 68-70
Volver
Usamos cookies propias y de terceros para mejorar su navegación. Si continua navegando consideramos que acepta el uso de cookies.