Riding the Brahmas c. 1938

Ethel Magafan’s ‘Riding the Brahmas’ captures a raw rodeo scene with a cowboy struggling to stay atop a bucking Brahma bull. The bull, with its muscular build and imposing horns, embodies untamed power, a symbol of nature's might. The bull as a motif reverberates through millennia. Think of the Cretan bull leaping rituals, or the sacred bull Apis in ancient Egypt, symbols of virility and strength. In ‘Riding the Brahmas,’ we witness this ancient reverence transformed into a display of human dominance. The cowboy's struggle is a primal dance of man versus beast, a scene charged with adrenaline and danger. The dust kicked up by the bull's hooves evokes a chaotic energy, almost a subconscious release of pent-up aggression. The image engages us on a visceral level, tapping into our own innate fascination with the wild and the untamed. The motif of the bull has taken on various symbolic loads over time. Here, Magafan reminds us of the enduring power of symbols, their ability to resurface, evolve, and engage with the viewer across cultural epochs.