Phil,That was a long time ago. As I've said, When your memory goes, forget it!
I'm sure there was a ton of stuff to admire back when I did find artistic aspects to the close passes with the cape and the muleta to be beautiful. And a clean kill was a blessing and showed real skill --- going over the horns rather than an inept butcher trying time and time again and to end it and hitting bone time after time---while the afficianados whistled (booing) loudly.You said that you have seen MANY bullfights. You must've found a reason to go to all of those before being enlightened. Wasn't part of it an appreciation for the finer aspects of the spectacle? Back then I simply didn't have any points of view on the morality of it yet.
I think I finally turned a disgusted eye to the fights when I realized that the pads on the horses ridden by the piccadors were to keep the throngs in the stands from seeing the disemboweling of those animals after the bulls tore 'em open. That turned my stomach (so to speak) and made me realize there were negative things happening here I'd not been able to comprehend before. Somehow, before that, it seemed logical to me that the banderillas and the picas be used to lower the horns before the matador took his stand. The bulls wounded head was lowered so the sword could ultimately find a clear passage to the animal's heart---depending on the skills of the given matador. It made for a cleaner kill.
Then I just walked away from bullfights---gave away all of my books. This thread brought it back to me that I had really gotten into back then.
But I'm still glad I took the time to learn why some were into it so wholehog. (No bull! ;-)Art Thieme