Book Praise and Refutation of Stillness

Of the three paradigms that make up the canon in bullfighting – stopping, tempering and commanding – perhaps the first of them is the most uncertain and enigmatic. What exactly is it that stops? Does the bull stop? Does the bullfighter stop? Does time stop when bullfighting is done with composure, command and art? Two active bullfighters (José Tomás and Morante de la Puebla) become the subject of aesthetic reflection when it comes to investigating this elusive and suggestive concept of stillness in bullfighting. One, the quintessential quietist bullfighter; the other, the artistic bullfighter par excellence in the 21st century. However, despite the obvious differences, these two artists share something substantial that will be revealed throughout these pages. Currently, these two bullfighters represent different – but complementary – ways of understanding bullfighting; and each one, for his part, is the genuine representative of a particular way of living and transmitting this ancient art. José Tomás, the most courageous and artistic bullfighter in the recent history of bullfighting. Morante, the most courageous and artistic bullfighter remembered by fans. In this hypothetical mano a mano, a new bullfighting for the future is glimpsed.