Bronze on a marble base. Length: 24 cm. Height: 34 cm.
Limited edition of 49 pieces.
Morante de la Puebla
This sculpture by José Crespo, titled «Morante de la Puebla,» captures the essence and elegance of the famous bullfighter in the midst of his art. Crafted in bronze, the piece depicts the bullfighter in a classic pose, with the «capote» extended in a gesture that conveys both grace and the tension of the bullfighting moment. The texture of the sculpture is rich and detailed, mimicking the complexity of the traditional bullfighting attire and the fluidity of the cape.
The green patina finish gives the sculpture an antique and venerable appearance, enhancing the folds and shadows of the cape and the bullfighter’s clothing. The dark circular marble base adds stability and an elegant contrast, further highlighting the bullfighter’s figure.
José Crespo masterfully captures not only the physical figure of Morante de la Puebla but also the spirit and emotion that define his presence in the arena. This sculpture is an artistic tribute to the bullfighting tradition, inviting the viewer to admire the skill and passion of the bullfighter through a deeply evocative three-dimensional representation.
«Moving far from Spain must have sparked my bullfighting passion… To create this figure, I based it on a photo of maestro Morante de la Puebla that I found in a bullfighting magazine. You can see the photo below.
The maestro’s pose in that photo immediately caught my attention. It was pure strength and pure art. I wanted to convey all of that in a bronze sculpture.
The style I used for this piece is completely different from my previous works. In this case, I aimed to escape detail and express the strength and movement of the maestro with the fewest «brushstrokes» possible. In other words, I had to capture the magic of bullfighting in a simple way. Easier said than done!
I made this figure larger than my previous ones, so I decided to use clay instead of lost-wax for the process. I started it in Mons, Belgium, in May 2004 and finished it in July of the same year. I then took it to a foundry not far from Mons. I hope you like it.»
José Crespo
