Los Moros hacen otro capeo en plaza con su albornoz (The Moors Make a Different Play in the Ring Calling the Bull with Their Burnous)

Los Moros hacen otro capeo en plaza con su albornoz (The Moors Make a Different Play in the Ring Calling the Bull with Their Burnous) is a dramatic print created by Francisco Goya in 1816. This composition, executed using etching, burnished aquatint, and drypoint-on-laid-paper, represents a first edition impression and showcases Goya's profound technical skill during the Spanish period of 1801 to 1825. This work belongs to a significant portfolio series, likely La Tauromaquia, in which Goya explored the origins, evolution, and dangerous spectacle of bullfighting.

The scene depicts an action sequence rooted in the historical narrative of the corrida, portraying figures identified as Moors engaged in the capeo maneuver. Clad in their traditional albornoz, these historical participants use the sweeping fabric of their robes to draw the bull, a practice Goya celebrated for its daring and historical significance. The technical combination of etching and drypoint defines the quick, nervous energy of the participants, while the burnished aquatint creates the velvety blacks and deep shadows necessary for the drama unfolding in the plaza. These elements transform the historical account into a visceral encounter between man and beast, illustrating Goya's characteristic fusion of documentary detail and atmospheric intensity.

Works such as this are highly valued as master prints, illustrating Goya’s commitment to graphic series, which allowed for broader distribution than singular paintings and later often became available for academic study through the public domain. This striking impression of Goya’s achievement is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where Los Moros hacen otro capeo en plaza con su albornoz stands as a critical example of the enduring power of the Spanish master’s narrative prints.