The Bullfighter's Salute

The Bullfighter's Salute from 1868 is one of Fortuny's most celebrated treatments of the corrida, combining his virtuoso handling of light and fabric with the charged ritual of the arena. The matador's salute — acknowledging the crowd before combat — was a moment of high theater that Fortuny renders without sentimentality, focusing on the figure's presence in space and the shimmer of his embroidered suit. The National Gallery's acquisition of this work speaks to the international reach of Fortuny's market: Spanish subject matter was eagerly collected by British institutions and private buyers who associated it with romantic exoticism. Fortuny's approach to the corrida differs from Goya's prints on the same theme in being fundamentally coloristic rather than dramatic — he is interested in what the light does to the gold and silk rather than in the moral weight of man facing bull.

The matador's suit is the technical showpiece: Fortuny renders gold embroidery through small, precise impasto touches set against flat shadow areas to maximize contrast. The sandy arena floor is handled broadly, establishing a stable base from which the figure rises. Cool shadow in the mid-distance prevents the warm costume tones from flattening.