The artwork “The picador” by the renowned artist Pablo Picasso was created in 1890 and is associated with the Post-Impressionism art movement. It is a genre painting, a term used to describe works of art that depict scenes of everyday life.
The artwork captures a moment in the traditional Spanish bullfighting arena, focusing on a picador. A picador is a bullfighter who, mounted on horseback, uses a lance to test the bull’s strength and to provoke it into showing its ferocity. In this representation, the picador is dressed in a bright yellow costume typical for the role, complete with a hat that shields him from the sun. The horse appears to be calmly positioned in the arena, and the picador is ready for his encounter with the bull. Behind the picador are onlookers who seem engaged in the spectacle, observing from a higher vantage point. The use of a red banner on the right side adds a vibrancy to the scene, while the overall color palette of brown and ochre tones conveys the atmosphere of the bullfighting ring. Picasso’s application of paint is loose, capturing the texture of the scene in a way that suggests movement and energy.
Despite Picasso’s later fame and association with Cubism, this work reveals his early proficiency and engagement with subjects rooted in Spanish culture and tradition. The artwork serves not only as a snapshot of a cultural event but also as an insight into the development of Picasso’s style at a young age.
