José Gómez Ortega (8 May 1895 – 16 May 1920), commonly known as Joselito (), was a Spanish

matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...

in the early twentieth century. Younger brother of matador de toros Rafael Gómez Ortega ("El Gallo"), Joselito was considered a child prodigy and was the youngest

bullfight Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

er to receive the title of ''matador de toros'', at the age of 17, with his brother as "padrino". Joselito followed in arch-rival Juan Belmonte's footsteps and the two ushered in bullfighting's "Golden Age" during the second decade of the 20th century. Joselito and Belmonte are widely considered to be among the most famous bullfighters of all time, and their professional rivalry did not prevent their developing a close personal friendship. Joselito was fatally gored in the ring by the bull "Bailador" in Talavera de la Reina at the age of 25, where he was appearing with the matador

Ignacio Sánchez Mejías Ignacio Sánchez Mejías (6 June 1891, Seville – 13 August 1934, Madrid) was a Spanish matador. After his death following a goring (''cornada'') in the Plaza of Manzanares, he was memorialized by several poets of the Generation of '27, notably ...

. Upon Joselito's death, the Virgin of Hope of Macarena was dressed in an entirely-black ensemble to acknowledge the public's heavy grief.

Biography

Early life

José Gómez Ortega was born on 8 May 1895 in Huerta de El Algarrobo,

Gelves Gelves is a city located in the Seville (province), province of Seville, in Andalusia, Spain. According to the 2006 census (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain), INE), the city has a population of 8,325 inhabitants. It lies on the west ban ...

(

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

, Spain) to Fernando Gómez García, a bullfighter, and Gabriela Ortega Feria, a flamenco singer. Joselito was a third-generation bullfighter. His father Fernando Gómez García, known as ''El Gallo'' (The Rooster) - Joselito's previous nickname, ''Gallito'', was a diminutive form of this nickname; His elder brother Rafael Gómez Ortega, was also a bullfighter known as ''El Gallo''.Death and money in the afternoon: a history of the Spanish bullfight
p. 67

References

1895 births 1920 deaths People from Seville (comarca) Sportspeople from the Province of Seville Spanish bullfighters Spanish Romani people Bullfighters killed in the arena Sport deaths in Spain {{spain-bullfighting-bio-stub