Artwork

Bullfights: The Moors Settled in Spain, Giving Up the Superstitions of the Qur’an, Adopted this Art of Hunting, and Spear a Bull in the Open

Bullfights: The Moors Settled in Spain, Giving Up the Superstitions of the Qur’an, Adopted this Art of Hunting, and Spear a Bull in the Open 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. Created in 1816 by Francisco de Goya, this ink drawing captures a moment in a Spanish bullfight.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1816 by Francisco de Goya, this ink drawing captures a moment in a Spanish bullfight. Executed with rapid, unrefined strokes, the work belongs to a series exploring rural traditions and cultural transformation. It is currently held at The Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is valued for its expressive immediacy and historical insight into early 19th-century Spanish life.

Subject & Meaning

The image suggests a cultural transition, where older religious customs give way to secular, performative rituals rooted in local identity.

The scene depicts three horsemen pursuing a bull in a muddy landscape, one poised to thrust a spear. Goya frames the event as a symbolic shift: the Moorish influence in Spain, once tied to Islamic traditions, is shown embracing the violent spectacle of bullfighting. The image suggests a cultural transition, where older religious customs give way to secular, performative rituals rooted in local identity.

Technique & Style

Goya employed loose, dark ink lines with minimal shading, creating a sense of motion and urgency. The figures and animal are rendered with energetic, almost chaotic strokes, emphasizing tension and instability. The lack of detail and absence of background depth focus attention on the physical struggle, reinforcing the raw, unpolished character of the moment and the artist’s interest in spontaneous observation.

History & Provenance

This drawing is part of a group of works Goya produced during his later years, often reflecting on Spanish customs and historical change. It entered The Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection through established acquisition channels in the 20th century. Its provenance traces back to Goya’s personal sketches, later preserved by collectors who recognized their documentary and artistic value.

Context

In early 19th-century Spain, bullfighting was evolving from a noble pastime into a popular public spectacle. Goya, observing this shift, linked it to broader societal changes—religious transformation, national identity, and the decline of feudal structures. His sketches, including this one, serve as visual commentaries on how tradition is reshaped by time and collective practice.

Legacy

Goya’s sketch contributed to a broader artistic movement that valued emotional truth over idealized form. Its raw aesthetic influenced later realist and modernist artists drawn to unvarnished depictions of human and animal behavior. The work remains a key example of how personal observation could illuminate complex cultural transitions without overt narration.