Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes

Etching with aquatint, Harris's state I, an exceptionally rare and early unrecorded working proof from La Tauromaquia, on laid paper, with margins, the number 25 in pencil at upper right corner of plate, occasional short tears and very slight surface dirt along edges of sheet (not affecting the image), minor soft creasing and other minor defects, otherwise in good condition

The slight surface dirt is mainly visible along upper edge of sheet. Other minor defects include some very few pale foxmarks mainly in the margins.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Dogs Let Loose on the Bull is an unrecorded proof, one of the rare working proofs for Goya's series the Tauromquia. There are 44 prints associated with the series, but the finished work, which Goya published when he was 70 years old, consists of just 33 plates, for his ideas changed and evolved during the printmaking process.

This evocative proof of Dogs Let Loose on the Bull provides us with remarkable insight into this process. His first documented idea for the composition is a red chalk drawing in the Prado, which this impression closely follows. In a later proof, formerly in the Galichon collection, Paris, Goya burnishes out the picadors at the left and alters the position of the horse's hind legs. He then abandoned the plate altogether and substituted a simplified version of the subject, which appeared as plate 25 in the Tauromaquia.

Thus the present work is the earliest printed version of the subject. The complex rhythm of the lines and the delicacy of the printing convey the sense of turmoil and confusion which is absent in the final version of the subject.