Juan Belmonte Invented Modern Toreo in 1913 as a Classical Art

The article argues that bullfighting (corrida) is not an art, but the toreo—the stylized duel between torero and bull—is. Juan Belmonte invented modern toreo on April 11, 1913, in Madrid, when he executed five linked verónicas. This revolutionized bullfighting by prioritizing arm movement over leg movement, making aesthetic concerns central. The author distinguishes classical art (form follows function) from modern art (function is form). Belmonte's toreo is classical: the function (domination) is expressed through form (the passes). The key innovation was the parón (stop), where the torero stands still and controls the bull's charge with minimal movement, achieving maximum effect. This unifies function, ethics, and aesthetics. The article also compares toreo to cinema and photography as new classical arts born from modernism. It suggests that if contemporary art is defined by presentation over representation, then the corrida itself—a real blood-and-death combat—has always been contemporary art.