Toro 1963

Pietro Lazzari created ‘Toro’ with oil on canvas, and the painting captures the raw energy of a bull. The bull is an important figure in many cultures and can represent virility, power, and even sacrifice. Lazzari, an artist born in Italy who eventually emigrated to Venezuela, may have been interested in critiquing these traditional notions of masculinity. The way the image is constructed, with a heavy impasto technique, shows how the image itself communicates meaning. The thick application of paint creates a sense of the bull's brute strength, but also conveys instability. In a country like Venezuela, where social and political instability was a reality, such depictions resonated deeply. As historians, we examine not just the artwork itself but the context in which it was created and displayed to better understand its message. Through sources such as exhibition catalogues, reviews, and artist statements, we can better understand its significance.