Tauromaquia 1951

This is Oscar Dominguez's painting, 'Tauromaquia,' a work which confronts us with the charged symbolism of bullfighting through the lens of Surrealism. Dominguez, born in Tenerife, lived through the tumultuous years of the Spanish Civil War and World War II. His identity as a Spaniard undoubtedly influenced his engagement with this controversial national tradition. The painting presents a stylized bull pierced by a sword, set against the backdrop of the arena, which is rendered in vivid, geometric forms. Bullfighting itself is a spectacle steeped in gendered notions of courage and domination, with the matador embodying a hyper-masculine ideal. Dominguez does not celebrate this, he invites us to consider the violence inherent in this cultural ritual. His surrealist approach disrupts traditional representations, probing the depths of cultural identity and its relationship to suffering. The raw emotion conveyed in the image evokes a visceral response, making us question the narratives we inherit and the values we uphold.