Stierenvechter met banderillas 1795

Luis Fernandez Noseret made this print of a bullfighter with banderillas, we don't know the exact date, but it was probably made in Spain, sometime in the first quarter of the 19th century. What's striking is the way it memorializes bullfighting, a popular entertainment, in a print that was designed for mass consumption. The image’s meaning is created through a familiar set of visual codes: the placement of the bullfighter in the foreground, his flamboyant costume, the figure of the bull, the reactions of the on-lookers. Bullfighting is a spectacle with deep roots in Spanish culture. Rooted in ancient rituals of animal sacrifice, by this time it had evolved into a highly formalized display of courage, skill, and artistry that remains a symbol of national identity. Historians consult a wide range of resources to understand the conditions in which art is made. Prints like this one help us understand the social and cultural meanings that emerge in specific times and places.