• Bullfighting scene by Vicente Navarro with a bull facing a mounted picador and spectators in the foreground.
  • Detalle de un picador a caballo y de un toro en una suerte de varas, en técnica mixta sobre tonos rosados.
  • Detalle del toro, el caballo y el picador, con un grupo de figuras caídas abajo y una inscripción a lápiz abajo a la izquierda.
  • Vista de la obra con toro, caballo, picador y figuras caídas, con la firma «V. Navarro» abajo a la izquierda.
  • Detalle del toro y del caballo con picador, con las figuras caídas y la firma abajo a la izquierda.
  • Detalle del toro, el caballo con picador y las figuras caídas abajo, con una inscripción y la firma a la izquierda.
  • Detalle del caballo con el picador y el toro, en tonos rosados y marrones.
  • Detalle del toro y del caballo con picador en tonos rosados y marrones.
  • Detalle del picador a caballo, con la lanza, y del toro, en tonos rosados y marrones.
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El taller del coleccionista

Vicente Navarro — Prying of bulls (Suerte de varas) — Varnished mixed media — Valencian School

Vicente Navarro — Prying of bulls (Suerte de varas) — Varnished mixed media — Valencian School

€285,00 EUR
€285,00 EUR
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Bullfighting sketch by Vicente Navarro depicting the suerte de varas, with a mounted picador facing the bull and other figures in the foreground.

The live sketch and the tension of the bullring

Vicente Navarro Romero (1888-1979), an academic at the Real de San Carlos in Valencia, was an absolute master of anatomical drawing and a key figure in 20th-century Spanish illustration and costumbrismo. In this intimate format piece, Navarro condenses all his narrative wisdom to capture the moment of maximum tension in the first third of the bullfight: the suerte de varas.

With an energetic, nervous, and highly gestural stroke, the artist depicts the picador—perfectly attired with his castoreño (a type of hat)—withstanding the bull's charge. In a masterful use of perspective and framing, Navarro places the sketched figures of other bullfighters leaning against the barrier in the foreground, giving the composition an almost photographic depth.

The varnished finish

The varnished finish gives the drawing a glossy surface. The palette centres on earth and terracotta tones, with small green accents in the picador’s clothing. Dark contours and overlapping lines describe the action against a barely defined background.

Technical details

  • Artist: Vicente Navarro Romero (Valencia, 1888 - Barcelona, 1979).

  • Title / Theme: Suerte de varas / The Picador (Bullfighting / Spanish Costumbrismo).

  • Estimated Period: Mid-20th century.

  • Technique and support: Original mixed media (grease pencil / waxes) on paper, with a varnished finish.

  • Documented Dimensions: 12 x 15 cm (Cabinet / miniature format).

  • Signature and Inscriptions: Hand-signed "V. NAVARRO" in the lower-left corner. Shows traces of period handwritten calligraphy (faded) above the signature.

  • Style / Movement: Dynamic figuration / Valencian School.

  • Provenance: Private collection / Gallery stock.

  • Condition: The support has a warm tone and varnished finish. The lines and colour contrasts remain visible in the photographs.

The Taller Note

The diagonal of the lance and the horse’s posture concentrate the action in the centre. The bull advances from the left, while the figures sketched by the barrier occupy the foreground. The difference between these nearby strokes and the open space of the arena adds depth to the sketch.

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