Where can I see The Bulls of Bordeaux: The Famous American, Mariano Ceballos?

The Bulls of Bordeaux: The Famous American, Mariano Ceballos is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is The Bulls of Bordeaux: The Famous American, Mariano Ceballos?

The Bulls of Bordeaux: The Famous American, Mariano Ceballos is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

The Bulls of Bordeaux: The Famous American, Mariano Ceballos

The Bulls of Bordeaux: The Famous American, Mariano Ceballos is a print by the Romanticist artist Francisco Goya. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Francisco de Goya’s 1825 print titled *The Bulls of Bordeaux: The Famous American, Mariano Ceballos* depicts a dramatic bullfight. The work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection and exemplifies Goya’s late interest in Spanish popular spectacles.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on a mounted matador poised to thrust a lance into a dark‑brown bull, while a secondary bull charges a fleeing figure in a dark coat. Spectators line a fence in the background, suggesting the public’s fascination with the peril and pageantry of the arena.

Technique & Style

Executed as a print, the image employs stark chiaroscuro and vigorous, gestural lines that heighten the tension of the moment. Deep shadows dominate the scene, and the bold strokes convey the kinetic energy of the confrontation between man and animal.

Context

Created during the Romantic period, the work reflects the era’s emphasis on emotion, drama, and the sublime aspects of nature and human endeavor. Goya’s focus on a bullfight—a quintessentially Spanish subject—aligns with Romanticism’s interest in national identity and the power of visceral experience.

History & Provenance

Since its production, the print has been held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s European prints and drawings collection.