Picador en matador na het doden van de stier after 1790

This print depicts a bullfight scene. A fallen bull lays prostrate, its defeat rendered through its limp pose, while the matador and picador stand as victors. The bullfight, a spectacle deeply rooted in Iberian culture, echoes the ancient Minoan sport of bull-leaping. In Crete, young athletes would vault over bulls, grasping their horns, a dance with death that served as a rite of passage. We can trace this motif back to the mythical Minotaur, half-man, half-bull. Consider how such imagery taps into the collective unconscious. The bull becomes a symbol of raw, untamed power, a primal force that must be confronted and subdued, while the bullfighter embodies human intellect, courage, and control. The emotional tension in the image is palpable, the quiet aftermath heavy with the drama of life and death. This interplay between man and beast, so vividly captured here, highlights humanity's ongoing attempt to dominate and understand the natural world. It is a dance of power, fear, and ultimately, transformation.