Bullfight 1800 - 1900

Editor: This is Eugenio Lucas y Padilla's "Bullfight," an ink and pen drawing from sometime in the 1800s, here at the Met. There’s something so dynamic, so rough and immediate about it. All these swashes of ink to capture… what? The life, the death, of the arena? What do you see in it? Curator: Life and death, precisely. The frenzy of the crowd, blurred in ink-splattered excitement, echoes the central drama. But my eye keeps getting drawn to the… almost oppressive darkness in the foreground, that somber, abstract shape. It suggests an impending doom, a silent witness. Does that darkness whisper something to you? Editor: Maybe... inevitability? Is it typical of Lucas to include these almost abstract shapes within very active, representational pieces? Curator: Lucas was an heir to Goya, capturing the raw, unfiltered realities of Spanish life. But he was also drawn to the theatrical. Perhaps that looming darkness isn't just death, but the shadow cast by spectacle itself. He masterfully orchestrates the space... almost like a stage play! What kind of play do you imagine unfolds in the arena? Editor: A tragic one, I guess. With moments of intense excitement. I hadn't thought about that contrast, between dark quiet and frantic motion. Curator: Indeed. This ink sketch captures that frenetic dance, death ritualized, transformed into entertainment, inviting reflection on culture, passion, and… are we merely watching? Editor: Hmm, well this has certainly opened my eyes to the darker complexities in what I initially thought was simply an action-packed scene. Curator: And me too. I find myself pondering: How much do we participate in the rituals we witness, even unknowingly? It's like a shadow puppet play with big ideas.