Created in 1825 during Goya’s exile in France, the Bulls of Bordeaux represent one of his final technical explorations. In this series of lithographs, the artist returns to the theme of bullfighting from a freer and more spontaneous perspective.
Lithography, a relatively new technique at the time, allowed Goya to work with greater immediacy and fluidity. The scenes capture the dynamism of the spectacle, the tension of movement, and the collective energy of the audience. Compared to the controlled drama of Tauromaquia, the compositions here appear more vibrant and synthetic.
These works reveal an elderly yet innovative Goya, open to new techniques and visual languages. The Bulls of Bordeaux not only conclude his career as a printmaker, but also anticipate formal solutions that would influence modern art.
Around 100 copies were printed at Gaulon’s workshop and complete collections are very rare today. With them, Goya sought to achieve painterly effects like those he attained in his paintings. They were made with a seeming carelessness, as corrections can be seen in the use of the lithographic stylus, but they surprise with the spontaneity and verve demonstrated by an almost octogenarian Goya in his representations of the people and animals. These scenes can be related to some paintings on aspects of bullfighting that he painted in those years.