Maria Ceballas, også kaldet indianeren, slår tyren ihjel fra sin hest 1815 - 1816

Francisco Goya created this etching, "Maria Ceballas, also called the Indian Woman, Killing the Bull from Her Horse," using etching techniques, achieving a stark contrast between light and shadow. This work uses sharp, decisive lines to capture a scene of dynamic action within a bullfight. Goya’s composition expertly directs the viewer’s eye to the central struggle between the woman, the bull, and the horse. The use of aquatint creates depth, casting a dramatic mood. The etching does more than depict a bullfight; it reflects the cultural tensions and shifting power dynamics of Goya’s Spain. It challenges fixed notions, playing with gender roles and colonial identities within the spectacle of the bullring. Note the almost frenetic mark-making that not only conveys movement and energy but also embodies the rawness and immediacy of the event. This formal quality allows the artwork to function as a complex commentary on Spanish identity, tradition, and the spectacle of violence.