Support this photographer - share this work on Facebook.

The bulls have always been a key figure in the human culture. They appear in cave paintings estimated to be up to 17,000 years old. The mythic Bull of the Heavens plays a role in the ancient Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, dating as far back as 2150 b.C. The importance of the bull is reflected in its appearance in the zodiac — the Taurus —, and in its numerous mythological meanings where it is frequently associated to fertility.

Today, bullfighting shows take place in different countries around the world such as south of France, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, China, Philippines, USA and Portugal. Not in all the countries mentioned the bull is killed at the end of the show and in recent years several nations forbidden the killing of the Bull or the entire show,; for instance, in 2015 the European Union legislated that agricultural funds won’t be used to finance lethal bullfighting activities.

The most famous bullfighting show is the “corrida”; however, the Portuguese tradition differs quite a lot by the Spanish one. Most Portuguese bullfights are held in two phases: the spectacle of the cavaleiro, and the pega. In the cavaleiro, a horseman on a Portuguese Lusitano horse (specially trained for the show) fights the bull from horseback. The purpose of this part is to stab three or four bandeiras (small javelins) into the back of the bull.
In the second stage, called the pega (“holding”), the forcados, a group of eight men, challenge the bull directly and without weapon of defence or protection. The front man provokes the bull into a charge to perform a pega de cara or pega de caras (“face grab”). The front man secures the animal's head and is quickly helped by his fellows who surround and secure the

About author:

Tommaso Rada is an Italian photographer currently living in the north of Portugal, in Braga. His works has been published in several magazines and newspapers such as Financial Time, Der Spiegel, Monocle, Popoli, Popoli e Missioni, Private online edition, Expresso, Helsingin Sanomat, Courrier International, Le Pelerin, Washington Post and Forbes Brazil. He collaborated with Unicef Mozambique, Comunità di Sant’Egidio and Habitat for Humanity Portugal.

Exhibitions
GuatePhoto, Collective Exhibition, Guatemala (2015)
Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival, Tbilisi, Georgia (2015)
Estação Imagem, Cordoaria Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal (2014)
Estação Imagem, CPF, Porto, Portugal (2014)
Estação Imagem, Cordoaria Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal (2012)
Estação Imagem, CPF, Porto, Portugal (2012)

Awards
Ideas Tap - Magnum Photos Photographer Funds - Longlist (2015)
IPA 2015 International Photography Award - Honorable Mention (2015)
ND Awards - 1st prize Editorial Sport (2015)
ND Awards - 3rd prize Editorial Photo Essay (2015)
MIFA - 3rd prize Sport (2015)
MIFA - 2nd prize Nature Pet (2015)
Fotovisura Grant For Outstanding Multimedia Project - Honorable Mention (2015)
Royal Photographic Society Print Exhibition - Finalist (2015)
Photon Valencia - Finalist / Valencia, Spain (2015)
Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award - Finalist / Tblisi, Georgia (2015)
Estação Imagem - 2nd prize in the "Contemporary Issues" category / Mora, Portugal (2014)
Berlin Month of Photography Portfolio Review - Finalist / Berlin, Germany (2014)
Photon Valencia - Finalist / Valencia, Spain (2014)
Monochrome Awards - Professional Photojournalism Category - Honorable Mention (2014)
Photocraty Fund - Finalist (2014)
International Revela Award - Finalist / Madrid, Spain (2014)
Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography Grant - Finalist (2014)
Estação Imagem - 1st prize in the "Environment" category / Mora, Portugal (2012)
AddRetouch Documentary Photography - Finalist / Madrid, Spain (2013)

BACK TO GALLERY