Study for ‘Bullfight’ c. 1928

Editor: This is William Roberts's Study for 'Bullfight'. The drawing doesn't have a specific date, and it's on display at the Tate. It looks like pencil on paper. I am intrigued by its geometric shapes and the grid underlying the composition. How does the composition function in this piece? Curator: The grid certainly provides a structural foundation. Consider how Roberts uses flattened forms and cubist-inspired techniques to depict the figures. Notice the interplay of lines and angles, creating a sense of dynamism and tension. How do these formal elements contribute to your understanding of the bullfight? Editor: I see that the overlapping shapes create a chaotic energy, almost like the movement and drama of the event itself. It makes me think about how even a preliminary drawing can convey so much through form alone. Curator: Precisely. Roberts transforms the bullfight into an arrangement of shapes and lines, emphasizing the abstract qualities of the event. We understand through his technique.