Artwork

Bullfights: The Death of Pepe Illo (3rd Composition)

Bullfights:  The Death of Pepe Illo (3rd Composition), by Francisco Goya, 1816
Bullfights:  The Death of Pepe Illo (3rd Composition), by Francisco Goya, 1816

Bullfights: The Death of Pepe Illo (3rd Composition) is a print by the Romanticist artist Francisco Goya. It dates from 1816 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

In this print, Goya shows a bullfighter on the ground. A black bull looms over him. The crowd watches from arched stands.

Goya made this image 60 years after the event. He used acid to etch the plate, then added quick brushwork on ink. The mix gives the scene a raw, uneven feel.

This work feels like a warning. Look up Francisco de Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828).

Overview

Francisco de Goya's print 'Bullfights: The Death of Pepe Illo (3rd Composition)' was created in 1816 and is held at The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a tragic moment in a bullfight, with the bullfighter Pepe Illo fallen and a bull looming over him, as spectators watch from arched stands. Created 60 years after the event, it conveys a sense of warning or commentary on the dangers of bullfighting.

Technique & Style

Goya employed etching with aquatint, using acid to etch the plate, and then added expressive brushwork in ink, resulting in a raw and uneven texture that heightens the emotional impact of the scene.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Francisco Goya

Artist

Francisco Goya

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; Spanish: ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.