Wounded torero

In 1914 Piet van der Hem spent a few months in Madrid, financially supported by Boussod, Valladon & Cie. in The Hague. He welcomed, amongst others, his friend Leo Gestel as a visitor. Together they regularly attended the bull-fights, or 'corridas'. Van der Hem described the fights in a letter to Goupil: "Imagine this enormous arena; half sun, half shade, full of women with 'matillas' and fans - one would like to paint that scene on a circular canvas. The blowing of horns, the big gates open; the 'quadrillas', 'espadas', 'banderillos', 'picadores' marching through the sand in their glittering golden and silver costumes to the box of the president, followed by servants with horses, mules and other requisites. Then the moment that the bull enters the arena, the 'picadores' thrown on, the stabbing of 'bandarillas' and finally the 'espada' dashing the bull."
In that same letter Van der Hem continues that he is working on a large canvas of a wounded bullfighter, being carried away by his comrades (the present lot), calling it his 'pièce de resistance'.

See colour illustration