Juan Belmonte
Juan Belmonte (1892–1962) was a Spanish bullfighter whose close, largely stationary style helped transform modern bullfighting.
Joselito: José Gómez Ortega (1895–1920) was a Spanish bullfighter celebrated for technical mastery and artistic control. His rivalry with Belmonte came to symbolize competing ideals of bullfighting in early twentieth-century Spain.
Bullfighting passes: Bullfighting passes are maneuvers that guide a bull past a matador using a cape or muleta. Belmonte’s style made the execution and sequence of passes central to his distinctiveness.
Seville: Seville is a city in Andalusia, southern Spain, with a long-standing bullfighting tradition. Belmonte was born and developed as a bullfighter in Seville.
Bullfighting in Spain: Bullfighting in Spain is a public spectacle in which matadors confront and kill bulls under codified rules. Belmonte changed expectations within the tradition, rather than replacing its basic structure.
Rafael Guerra: Rafael Guerra Bejarano (1862–1941), known as Guerrita, was a leading Spanish bullfighter of the late nineteenth century. Belmonte entered a tradition whose standards Guerrita had helped define.
Muleta: A muleta is the small red cloth used by a matador in the final stage of a bullfight. Belmonte’s close work with the muleta made the final stage a defining display of control.
Seville bullring: The Seville bullring, officially the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza, is a historic arena in Andalusia. Its audiences and traditions formed part of the setting for Belmonte’s career.
The Sun Also Rises: The Sun Also Rises is Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel about expatriates in postwar Europe and Spain. Its bullfighting scenes reflect the cultural world in which Belmonte became renowned.
Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez: Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez, known as Manolete (1917–1947), was a Spanish bullfighter famed for austere, close passes. Manolete’s later style developed within the modern tradition Belmonte helped reshape.
Bullfighting veronica: The verónica is a cape pass in which the matador guides the charging bull while largely remaining in place. The pass exemplifies the planted stance associated with Belmonte’s approach.