Title page with the donkey portrait of Goya

The Self-Portrait that introduces La Tauromaquia (1816) presents Goya in profile, with a sober and focused expression. The print functions as a frontispiece and an assertion of authorship, positioning the artist as the narrator of the spectacle. The firm line and controlled lighting emphasize his features, lending him gravity and dignity. There is no superfluous ornament; the figure emerges from a neutral, almost shadowed background. Through this image, Goya presents himself as a lucid witness to a deeply rooted Spanish tradition.