When Francisco de Goya painted Rounding up the bulls in 1787, he was working on a grand commission for the Royal Tapestry Factory of Santa Bárbara, creating designs to decorate the dining room of the Prince and Princess of Asturias at El Escorial. The tapestry cartoons from this series, including this work, capture lively scenes of Spanish popular life—a subject rarely celebrated in royal palaces before this ambitious project. Goya’s scenes of rural traditions and festivals offered the Bourbon court a vivid window onto the world beyond Madrid, and Rounding up the bulls became one of the most dynamic depictions of Spanish customs in his tapestry cycle. The painting freezes the instant when villagers, armed with long poles and sheer bravado, attempt to corral a group of powerful bulls.

Dust swirls beneath hooves, and the tension between man and beast is palpable: the men’s bright sashes and urgent gestures contrast with the dark, muscular forms of the animals. Goya’s composition draws the eye to the center, where a bull charges forward, capturing both the danger and excitement of the roundup. Unlike the heroic bullfighting scenes painted by earlier artists such as Francisco Rizi, Goya’s version is less about spectacle and more about the everyday courage of ordinary people.

The low horizon and broad sky give the scene a sense of openness, while the earthy palette grounds it firmly in the Spanish countryside. The original tapestry cartoon for Rounding up the bulls is now housed in the Museo del Prado, alongside many of Goya’s other works from this period. While the exact medium of the cartoon is not always specified, Goya typically worked in oil on canvas for these preparatory pieces. Over time, these cartoons have gained recognition not only as functional designs but as significant works of art in their own right, offering insight into Goya’s early style before the darker, more introspective paintings of his later years.

The tapestry itself, once displayed in royal settings, is now part of Spain’s artistic heritage, with the cartoons serving as a testament to Goya’s keen observation of Spanish life and his innovative approach to genre painting.