Eugenio Lucas Velázquez

EUGENIO LUCAS VELÁZQUEZ (Madrid, 1817–1870).
“Bullfighting Scene,” 1862.
Gouache on paper.
Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 43 x 64 cm; 55 x 76 cm (frame).
Bullfighting is one of the most characteristic and personal aspects of Eugenio Lucas Velázquez’s body of work and occupies a prominent place throughout his career. The world of bullfighting offered the artist a particularly suitable setting for developing a style based on spontaneous brushwork, movement, and the capture of the atmosphere of popular scenes. This is demonstrated by some of his works held in major public collections, such as *La suerte de varas* and *Capea de pueblo*, both dated around 1855 and held at the Museo Nacional del Prado, or *Apartado de toros en la Muñoza*, from 1862 (Inventory No. 1169), and *Corrida de toros en un pueblo* (Inventory No. 0769), which belong to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.
It is within this context that the present “Bullfighting Scene,” dated 1862, should be viewed—a late stage in the artist’s career and a time of full maturity in his unique interpretation of the world of bullfighting. Beyond the mere depiction of a bullfight, Lucas transforms the spectacle into a highly dynamic scene, in which horses, bullfighters, and spectators merge into a vibrant composition. The crowd in the background is barely hinted at through quick strokes and patches of color, while the action is concentrated in the foreground, where the horses and the participants in the bullfight take center stage. The artist does not seek to describe each figure in minute detail, but rather to convey the immediate impression of a massive, dynamic, and fleeting spectacle.
The choice of gouache on paper particularly enhances this approach. The technique allows for quick and direct execution, favoring freedom of line and the spontaneity of the brushstrokes. Lucas thus constructs the scene through a combination of lines, patches, and touches of color that, rather than exhaustively defining the forms, suggest them. This approach proves particularly effective in the bullfighting genre, where movement, tension, and transience are an essential part of the spectacle.
This artistic language is closely linked to the tradition of Francisco de Goya, whose influence was decisive in shaping Lucas’s artistic personality. His work, therefore, fully embodies the sensibility of Spanish Romanticism; however, Lucas’s fluidity and his unique interplay between drawing, color, and brushstrokes lend his works a freedom that foreshadows a more modern conception of painting.
Eugenio Lucas Velázquez’s artistic training was rooted in Madrid’s artistic milieu and in the study of the great masters housed in the Prado Museum, particularly Velázquez and Goya, whose influence would prove decisive in his career. His work is represented in some of Spain’s leading public collections. The Prado Museum houses a significant collection of Lucas’s paintings, including *La suerte de varas*, *Capea de pueblo*, *Aquelarre*, *La ronda*, *Condenados por la Inquisición*, and various scenes featuring *majós* and *majás*. The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando also houses several works by the artist, including the aforementioned *Apartado de toros en la Muñoza* and *Corrida de toros en un pueblo*.