Picador steekt zijn lans in een stier after 1790

Curator: Today we are looking at an engraving entitled “Picador steekt zijn lans in een stier,” or "Picador thrusts his lance into a bull," created sometime after 1790. The artist is currently listed as anonymous. Editor: It's a fairly simple composition, almost like a freeze-frame of action. The neutral background makes the drama very focused—but immediately I'm thinking about animal cruelty, you know? What are we really seeing represented here? Curator: That’s precisely where the socio-political context comes into play. This print offers us a glimpse into the spectacle of bullfighting as entertainment and ritual within a specific historical framework. It's a popular genre scene elevated somewhat by its clean lines that echo Baroque traditions even as those are waning, wouldn't you say? Editor: Genre becomes political, right? What power structures are upheld through this depiction of human dominance over animals, staged for enjoyment? Is it just detached reportage, or is the artist taking a clear side? This wasn't made in a vacuum. I'm thinking of the societal implications inherent in bloodsport and spectatorship. Curator: Indeed. Circuses, public executions...These images played a significant role in constructing ideas of power, justice, and, certainly, entertainment. The art market propelled these subjects, reinforcing existing hierarchies by bringing them into private collections and therefore validating and even glorifying practices many would see today as simply barbaric. Editor: I wonder if the anonymity is a deliberate shield, then? Highlighting the practice without having to personally own its value judgment. The clean lines you mentioned certainly elevate the scene. But even those don't quite mitigate the disturbing aspects for me. How the political operates through something designed as entertainment… it is incredibly potent. Curator: It’s unsettling to consider. Reflecting on that tension makes us actively consider how such practices were normalized, even celebrated. Editor: Absolutely. Thinking about how this image functions – both historically and today – that is something very necessary.