Do you know why these drawings are made with sanguine? At this point in the exhibition you might already know the answer. If not, don’t worry, we’ll explain. The drawings Goya created using this technique were turned into engravings. He used sanguine to create marks on a metal plate. He would then scratch the drawing out on the plate, tracing over these lines, creating the master plate, the stamp. Finally, he would apply ink and make the print on a piece of paper.

The engravings he made from his preparatory sketches were regularly purchased. But this was not the case this time. The drawings were very realistic. The public appreciated them, but they were too violent for people to want to buy them and hang them in their homes.

Goya reflected the world of bullfighting because at that time there were different opinions about this subject. As on other occasions, Goya drew things that occurred in bullrings to show us the reality of it, as if he were a journalist.

He also drew about how bullfighting came about in antiquity. With all this information, Goya wanted members of the public to draw their own conclusions. Are there still different opinions about this subject today? What do you think?