| Introduction |
| Technique |
| Bullfight |
| Toreador |
| Conclusion |
| Movie |
| Credits |
X-radiograph of The Bullfight revealing figures in the first version |
The x-radiograph of the upper fragment reveals a completely different composition hidden beneath the visible one. Several bullfighters (outlined in red in the image above for clarity) surround a mounted picador. They are significantly smaller in scale than the three standing figures we see in the painting as it appears today.
This x-radiograph clearly shows Manet's technique: he leaves an area in reserve (which reads as a relatively less dense and therefore darker area) for the small figures in the original "picador" composition, paints in the background, and then continues to complete each figure.
