The Bravery of Martincho in the Ring of Saragassa (Tauromaquia 18)

This is Plate 18 from the series Tauromaquia.

While working on The Disasters of War, Goya also etched 33 plates, which he offered for sale under the title of Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting). Here he depicts a famous torero, seated on a chair and with his feet tied, preparing to deliver the bull a fatal thrust. A moment of extreme tension, which Goya makes palpable by abandoning the traditional rules of perspective.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 3 minutes): Georges Bizet: Carmen, Prelude