A bullfighter entering to kill with a hat in his hand instead of a muleta (Bullfighting I) (preparatory drawing)

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

Preparatory drawing for the print A bullfighter entering to kill with a hat in his hand instead of a muleta (Bullfighting I) , a print that was not included in the official series of the Bullfighting , although two state proofs of it have been preserved, but not the plate.

As in the two state trials, the scene is one of great confusion, something that Gassier believes corresponds to Goya's desire to reflect the reality of the suerte de matar. The arena is full of people and horses, one of them dead, and there is a wounded picador in the background. Two other picadors are also shown motionless on their mounts, also in the background, and the rest of the cuadrilla is ready to perform. The most prominent point in the drawing is occupied by the bullfighter, who is preparing to enter to kill with a rapier in his right hand and a hat in his other hand instead of a muleta, the risk being consequently greater because the bull can charge more easily. In the background of the scene we see the bullring outlined. The light falls especially on the dead horse and the bull, illuminating more the front part of the drawing which, as the two preserved state proofs show, was transferred to the plate, and therefore to the print, with remarkable fidelity.