The manly courage of the famous Pajuelera in Zaragoza

See How the ancient Spaniards hunted bulls on horseback in the countryside

In the scene we see a woman, dressed as a man, on horseback, stinging the bull in front of her in the middle of a bullring, while a farmhand, almost hidden behind the equine, seems to be leading him towards the luck of the sticks, preventing him from escaping.In the background on the right, behind the barrier, a small group of spectators can be glimpsed, which is somewhat blurred by the aquatint. Apart from this small group of spectators, the rest of the barrier and the stands are empty. As in the other prints in the series, the bull stands out, charging at the horse, which he almost stabs with his horns.

Gassier believes that Goya may have witnessd the scene in the Saragossa bullring, as the protagonist, the famous Pajuelera, was well known in the third quarter of the 18th century for her fearlessness in the luck of the bulls and for being a pioneer of women's bullfighting. Teh bullfighter´s name was actually Nocolasa Escamilla and when she was young she sold straws or sulphur wicks, the first version of today marches, hence her stage name. 

Both Beruete and Bagüés comment on the difference between the engraving and the preparatory drawing of the same, also entitled The manly courage of the famous Pajuelera in Zaragoza, in the expression on the protagonist's face. Sánchez Cantón and Glendinning, for their part, stress the same aspect, the latter emphasising that the bullfighter's face in the drawing is less expressive and more friendly. Between drawing and print there are also variations in aspects such as the Pajuelera's hairstyle and the audience, which are much more abundant in the preparatory study. 

Matilla explains the print as a representation of the transition from bullfighting on horseback, which had been predominant in the past, to bullfighting on foot. In fact, according to Matilla, it shows an unregulated cast, like those performed in his prints of the series by bullfighters still in transition, such as Martincho, Apiñani, the student from Falces and Mariano Ceballos.

Due to its composition and subject matter, the work is related to the following engraving of Bullfighting, entitled Mariano Ceballos, aka "the Indian", kills the bull from his horse.