Friar Pedro Shoots El Maragato as His Horse Runs Off

A dramatic clash unfolds on a dusty road in this painting, with a friar firing a pistol at a notorious bandit, El Maragato. The bandit's horse, startled by the gunshot, rears violently, its rider tumbling backward. The scene is raw and immediate, capturing a moment of intense action and danger. Goya painted this work as part of a series of six panels, depicting the real-life capture of a dangerous brigand by a courageous monk in 1806. The artist’s brushwork is loose and energetic, conveying the chaos and speed of the event. The figures are rendered with a stark realism, highlighting the grim reality of the encounter. This work captures the brutal edge of life in early 19th-century Spain, a time when such encounters were not uncommon.