1900 Picador et Monosario Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Period of creation: 1889-1907

The watercolor presents a scene seemingly drawn from a bullfighting spectacle, though rendered with a deliberate simplification and distortion that moves beyond straightforward representation. Here we see a central figure on horseback, presumably a picador, dominating the composition. The rider is clad in vibrant orange garments, sharply contrasting against the darker tones of the horse and the surrounding environment. A wide-brimmed hat obscures much of the face, lending an air of anonymity or perhaps suggesting a symbolic role rather than individual identity.
The horse itself is depicted with a powerful, almost monolithic presence, its form reduced to essential lines and planes. The artist has employed a limited palette – primarily yellows, oranges, blues, and blacks – creating a sense of intensity and visual compression. The background is loosely suggested, featuring indistinct forms that could be interpreted as spectators or the arena itself, rendered in washes of blue and yellow.
Beyond the immediate depiction of a bullfighting scene, the work seems to explore themes of power, tradition, and spectacle. The flattening of perspective and the reduction of figures to simplified shapes contribute to an overall sense of theatricality. The obscured face of the picador invites contemplation about the role of ritual and performance in society, while the imposing presence of the horse underscores the dynamics of dominance and control inherent in the bullfight.
The cropped edges and the relatively small scale of the work further enhance its intimate and concentrated feel. It is not a panoramic view but rather a focused moment, an impressionistic glimpse into a cultural practice steeped in symbolism and tradition. The signature at the lower right corner anchors the image within a specific artistic context, yet it does little to diminish the enigmatic quality of the scene itself.