I took a walk to Triana last week under another brilliantly blue and sunny sky. Although I'm not a fan of bullfighting, to say the least, there's a statue that I do like that's dedicated to Juan Belmonte (1892–1962), Triana's most famous bullfighting son. I took a picture of the statue when we were here for the first time in January 2011 because I was taken in by his profile (an excruciatingly prominent nose). The statue was tucked into some trees and, from my angle, I didn't immediately realize it was very contemporary. So, I now find it interesting for more than just his nose.
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| LOOKING ACROSS THE RIVER TO LA GIRALDA. (WISH I HAD A "REAL" CAMERA.) |
On this walk, when I was behind the statue and glanced back at the city, I saw that La Giralda (the Cathedral's bell tower) was perfectly framed in one of the cut-out spaces in the form. Belmonte's technique was unlike that of earlier matadors. He stood erect and motionless within inches of the bull. As a result, he was frequently gored. In a 1927 bullfight in Barcelona, he was gored through his chest and pinned against the wall. I wonder if the empty space in the sculpture symbolizes that little event.


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