Bronze on a marble base. Length: 28 cm. Height: 25 cm.
Limited edition of 49 pieces.
Bull I
This sculpture by José Crespo depicts a bull in an imposing and naturalistic pose. With meticulous attention to anatomical details, the work captures the robustness and strength of the animal, highlighting its musculature and alert posture. The sculpture is crafted in bronze, with a green patina that gives it an aged appearance, emphasizing the textures and shadows of the surface.
The bull is mounted on a rectangular dark marble base, providing stability and an elegant contrast to the piece. This solid, polished base adds a touch of sophistication, enhancing the bull’s figure and allowing it to stand out in any setting.
The sculpture reflects José Crespo’s ability to immortalize the essence and majestic presence of the bull, symbolizing not only the animal’s strength and bravery but also the richness of bullfighting tradition. It is a piece that invites contemplation and appreciation of the artistic mastery with which it was created.
«Having already sculpted a bullfighter, it was time to tackle the bull. It was undoubtedly a new challenge. To create it, I mainly based my work on a photo I liked from a bullfighting magazine. I also used videos of bulls to study the animal’s anatomy. I nearly went cross-eyed rewinding and fast-forwarding the same scenes of the video over and over again.
Having a small stove to melt wax helped me work faster. I started the figure on July 6 and finished it on July 13, 2004, in Mons, Belgium. On the same day, I took it to the foundry in Cambron-Casteau. I would have liked a few more days to refine it, but the mold-maker was going on vacation and wouldn’t wait for me. Priorities always come first. If I didn’t take it on the 13th, it wouldn’t have been possible until after the summer, and I wanted to have the figure ready for the exhibition I planned to organize in October. I’m happy with the result, especially considering the lack of graphic material I had to rely on this time.»
José Crespo
