La Fiesta Espanola

Seville: Imprenta y Libreria de José G. Fernández, 1860. A Rare Spanish Album of Bullfighting with Twenty-Two Fine Wood-Engraved Plates

[TOVAR, Bartolomé]. La Fiesta Espanola. [Seville: Imprenta y Libreria de José G. Fernández], 1860.

First edition. Oblong quarto (7 3/4 x 11 3/8 inches; 197 x 289 mm.). Twenty-two hand-colored wood-engraved plates (some misnumbered). All plates and wrappers mounted on stubs. First plate slightly browned from front wrapper, the last few plates with very slight chipping to fore-edges.

Late 19th century full red calf, front cover with gilt coat of arms (House of Bourbon?), spine with five raised bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, marbled endpapers. Original printed front wrapper and plain rear wrapper bound in. Spine very slightly sunned. An excellent copy of a very rare book.

A scarce collection of bullfighting scenes and events attributed to the Seville based lithographer, Bartholomé Tovar.

The plates show a bullfighter attempting to taunt, subdue, immobilize, and finally kill the bull.

OCLC/KVK locate just four copies in libraries and institutions worldwide: Columbia University (NY,US); Peabody Essex Museum (MA, US); University of Nevada, Las Vegas (NV, US); University of Texas, Austin, Harry Ransom (TX, US).

The Plates:

1. El encierro. (The running of the bulls).
2. El alguacil recoge la llave. (The Sherriff collects the key). (Lamina 1a)
3. Salida de la cuadrilla. (Departure from the crew). (Lamina 2)
4. Salida del toro del chiquero. (Exit of the bull from the pigsty). (Lamina 3)
5. El picador cita al toro. (The picador baits the bull). (Lamina 4)
6. Centro de una suerte de vara. (Center of a kind of rod). (Lamina 4)
7. Recarga de un toro en una suerte de vara. (Reloading of a bull on a kind of rod). (Lamina 5)
8. Capeo por detrás. (Capeo from behind). (Lamina 7)
9. Capeo, suerte de verónica. (Veronica's luck). (Lamina 8)
10. Salto de la garrocha. (Pole vault over the horns). (Lamina 10)
11. Salto al trascuerno. (Jumping over the horns). (Lamina 11)
12. Capeo, suerte de farol. (A lucky bluff). (Lamina 12)
13. Suerte de banderillas al cuarteo. (The quartering of the banderillas). (Lamina 13)
14. Banderillas de frente, cambiando. (Banderillas from the front, charging). (Lamina 14)
15. Sueltan perros al toro. (They release dogs to the bull). (Lamina 15)
16. El espada brinda el toro. (The sword toasts the bull). (Lamina 16)
17. Pase de muleta. (Crutch pass). (Lamina 17)
18. Cite para pasar de muleta. (Quote to pass on a crutch). (Lamina 17)
19. Suerte de recibir. (Lucky to receive). (Lamina 18)
20. Suerte del descabello. (Good luck with the hair). (Lamina 20)
21. El Cachetero dando la puntilla. (The Cachetero gives the finishing touch). (Lamina 20)
22. Arrastre del toro por las mulas. (The bull being dragged by the mules). (Lamina 21)

Bobins V, 1519; Palau 91200.