8/12

About this artwork

Deze prent maakt deel uit van een serie, bestaande uit twaalf prenten met voorstellingen van stierenvechten. Het betreft kopieën door Luis Fernandez Noseret naar de serie door Antonio Carnicero.

Art Historical Context

**8/12 by Luis Fernandez Noseret (5)** This etching, titled *8/12*, is the eighth installment in a captivating series of prints by Spanish artist Luis Fernandez Noseret all centered on the thrilling spectacle of bullfighting. Created in 1795, it measures a modest 192 mm high by 273 mm wide, making it an intimate yet dynamic window into 18th-century Spanish culture. Noseret faithfully copied these scenes from an original series by Antonio Carnicero, a painter celebrated for his vivid depictions of tauromaquia—the art of bullfighting—which was a national obsession blending bravery, artistry, and tradition. Etching, the chosen medium, involves coating a metal plate with acid-resistant ground, scratching designs into it, and immersing it in acid to etch fine lines for inking and printing. This technique allowed Noseret to replicate Carnicero's dramatic compositions with precision, capturing the tension of man versus bull in intricate detail. Such prints democratized access to high art, bringing bullfighting's raw energy to collectors and enthusiasts beyond Spain's arenas. These works hold cultural significance as vivid records of a ritual that symbolized Spanish identity during the Enlightenment era, when bullfighting evolved from folk entertainment into a formalized spectacle. As part of the series, *8/12* invites us to ponder the era's blend of danger and elegance, preserved through Noseret's skilled hand. (198 words)