Bullfighter, Spain

Robert Frederick Blum's sketch captures a matador in a moment of rest, posed against a wall marked with the word "TORO" (bull). The drawing demonstrates Blum's interest in Spanish subject matter and his skill at figure study. Though rendered in loose, economical line work typical of working sketches, the composition shows careful attention to the bullfighter's costume and posture. Blum, an American illustrator and painter, traveled extensively throughout Europe and North Africa, documenting local customs and scenes. His sketches and finished works helped introduce American audiences to foreign cultures during the late nineteenth century, when illustrated periodicals were the primary medium for such visual documentation.