Independently of its permanent collection, the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum regularly organises temporary exhibition programmes.

Please consult the exhibition calendar for more information about the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum's latest proposals.

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Taurus. From Myth to Ritual

BBK Room

06|07|10 • 09|05|10

Even in the ancient world the bull took a central role in Mediterranean culture, a role clearly reflected in the art produced in the area. The image of the bull in myths, ritual ceremonies and games and fiestas appeared in statuary and on ceramics and murals as far back as the Bronze Age, remaining at the forefront well into Roman times. Many of these images were revisited in the Renaissance, particularly the ones linked to the myth of the Minotaur a and the Abduction of Europa. From the 17th century, artists added a new dimension as they became increasingly interested in the festive side of bullfighting. Some of the greatest artists of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries worked with the iconography of modern bullfighting, recalling the ancient cult that worshipped the brute force of the bull while turning a pitiless eye on death.

The exhibition includes more than 200 works, ranging from pottery, works on paper, sculptures and paintings, from the Bronze Age and Greek ceramics to the present day, including creations by the likes of Manet, Goya, Zuloaga, Gutiérrez Solana, Picasso, Miró, Magritte, Equipo Crónica and Barceló.




In the image:
José Gutierrez Solana (Madrid, 1886-1945)
Las señoritas toreras, c. 1931
Oil on canvas. 162 x 210 cm
Pompidou Centre, Paris. Musée national d'art moderne, Centre de création industrielle.

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