Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)
Picador, 1953,
104/200
Partially glazed ceramic plate
8.75 x 0 in
The subject matter of bulls and bullfighting is a prominent aspect of Picasso’s Spanish heritage, and a theme that Picasso returned to on repeated occasions in his work.
Picasso is said to have attended his first bullfight at the age seven. The young Picasso painted the iconic scene after attending that faithful bullfight in Malaga’s La Malagueta bullring in 1889.
The picador would become a central theme for Picasso and would continue to preoccupy him throughout his adult / artistic career.
Picasso maintained a fascination for bullfighting and would regularly visit the arenas in the South of France throughout his life.