Maurerne udfører et andet trick i arenaen og lokker tyrene til sig med deres burnusser 1815 - 1816

"Maurerne udfører et andet trick i arenaen og lokker tyrene til sig med deres burnusser," is an etching by Francisco de Goya. It depicts a bullfighting scene, part of a series Goya devoted to the subject. Look closely at the way Goya renders the figures. Note the attire of the bullfighters. Goya is connecting the spectacle of the bullfight to Spain's Moorish past. But what is the politics of this imagery? Bullfighting was deeply embedded in Spanish national identity. What does it mean to link it so strongly with Moorish culture? Was Goya emphasizing a multi-cultural heritage, or subtly reinforcing stereotypes? As historians, we rely on multiple resources – contemporary accounts, costume studies, and social histories – to unravel the complex meanings embedded in this print. The image reminds us that art is never neutral; it's a product of its time, shaped by cultural and social forces.