Bulls (Dead Horses) (1886)

"Bulls (Dead Horses)" (1886) by Ramón Casas is a poignant and evocative painting that captures a dramatic moment in a Spanish bullfighting arena. The composition is centered around a bull standing defiantly in the sandy ring, with spectators filling the surrounding stands, a common scene yet rendered with palpable tension by Casas.In the foreground, two dead horses lie on the ground, a stark and distressing element that underscores the brutal reality of the bullfight. These horses, once part of the spectacle, now serve as a somber reminder of the violence inherent in the sport. Beside the horses, scattered remnants of the battle—such as a hat and a broken spear—add to the narrative of chaos and loss.Furthermore, the artist includes a vignette of a picador astride a visibly wounded horse, looking down at one of the fallen horses, which introduces a human element to the scene, highlighting the gravity of the consequences faced by all participants. The crowd, depicted in a blur of faces and hats, represents the range of human emotion from excitement to indifference, encapsulating the polarizing nature of this cultural event.Ramón Casas, known for his role in Spanish modernism, uses a muted color palette to convey the somber mood, and his loose, expressive brushstrokes inject a sense of immediacy and motion into the scene.