A Moor Caught by the Bull in the ring, plate 8 from "La Tauromaquia"

In the pictureIn an empty bullring, a bull has caught a man on its horns and lifts him up, while another man rushes in from the right with a lance. A mounted figure appears faintly behind, and the background divides into dark gray above and light sand below. The plate number 8 is printed in the paper margin.

BackgroundThe early plates of La Tauromaquia depict the legend that traces the origins of Spanish bullfighting to the Moors (the Arab inhabitants of Islamic-era Spain). This scene is the moment when that Moorish bullfighter is caught by the bull, and Goya preferred to show accidents and danger rather than heroic victories. The gray tones made with aquatint contrast with the black lines of the figures.

Puzzle tipSince it is mostly gray, solve it by shape. Fit the dark pieces of the bull and the two figures first, and divide the background into dark gray above and light sand below. Frame the edges with the paper margin and plate border pieces. 48 pieces is about right.