A matador delivering the coup de grâce at a bullfight, a large crowd looking on

A prolific artist of diverse skills, Jean-Démosthène Dugourc worked alongside his brother-in-law, François-Joseph Bélanger (1744-1818), inspector of the Menus plaisirs. Dugourc was also awarded multiple official titles as draftsman of the French court. He created furniture designs for prominent cabinet-makers, goldsmiths, and carpenters, such as Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813), Georges Jacob (1739-1814), and Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843).
In 1799, Dugourc was called to the Spanish court in Madrid and named architect to the king of Spain for fifteen years. It is probably during his stay in this city that Dugourc executed the present drawing, as well as its pendant, A couple dancing in the Plaza de la Provincia, Madrid, which preceded it in the 2005 sale (see Provenance). Another highly-finished drawing of the same technique is today at the École des Beaux-Arts (U. Van de Sandt in Maîtres français, 1550-1800. Dessins de la donation Mathias Polakovits à l’École des Beaux-Arts, exhib. cat., Paris, École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, 1989, no. 121, ill.).