The first picture below in black and white was taken in the Plaza Mexico in July of 1997 during his first year in Mexico. Adiel Bolio, a writer for the Mexico City newspaper "El Milenio" has christened it, "The Flight of the Angel." I have a copy of this picture in my home signed by the matador. He wrote, "Morgan, congratulations for the best picture ever taken of me with the banderillas."
The evening after the photo was taken Juli was on a TV talk show and everyone was telling him how incredible he was with the banderillas. Someone asked him to explain how he did it and he answered simply, "you run across the arena and as you reach the point of contact, you lift both hands high above your head and keeping the sticks together, place them into the bull." Obviously, to him it wasn't difficult.
Here are a few more grainy black and whites of Julian
in Mexican plazas during his years as a novillero, apprentice matador. In the first picture taken in San Miguel de Allende the crowd was small but in the second photo taken three months later in Mexico City, his fame had spread and the plazas were beginning to fill.
San Miguel de Allende 1997
Mexico City
Aguascalientes 1998
Queretaro 1998
During the 2002 season I traveled throughout Spain with Juli's cuadrilla and had the opportunity to take many pictures of him placing the banderillas. At the time, none of us knew that it would be the last season he would place them. He had decided he wouldn't do it anymore, much to the consternation of his fans. Even this year in the Plaza Mexico, five years after making the decision, when the time came to put them into his bull and he didn't reach for the sticks, the crowd jeered and whistled their displeasure.
His reasoning for deciding to not continue doing it was also simple. He said, "after his work with the capote, to run and put in the banderillas cost him energy, increased his heart beat and left him perspiring. He preferred to remain calm and centered for the demanding last third of his performance, the faena."
For those of you who didn't have the opportunity to see him banderillar, here are a few photos from that last year in Spain. In each of the photos you will notice that the professionals in the callejon and the people in the crowd have one thing in common, they are all watching him.
Valencia, the 15th of March, 2002.
This photo from Barcelona was taken a millisecond late but has it's impact. Juli is suspended in mid flight, his fingers out stretched. The banderillas are well placed and his body is past the reach of the horns. And you can see the dirt flying from the bull's hooves as he tries to turn and capture the elusive matador.
Almendralejo, on his toes with his body exposed, his arms stretching over the horns.
Cartagena, the 23rd of March, 2002.
Sevilla the 12th of April, 2002.
Madrid. The young man in the dark coat standing and anxiously grabbing the barrera is Juli's younger brother, and the gentleman sitting next him grimacing is his father. Juli often placed the third pair of banderillas "por adentro" on the inside between the barrier and the bull. It is an exciting way to place the banderillas but leaves you in an exposed position with the "tablas" fence behind you and the bull coming fast! And, there is less room to escape. As you can see by the closeness of the horns, it can be a dangerous act and the faces of his family reflect their concern.
Pamplona the 10th of July, 2002.
Another from Barcelona,
Another from Barcelona,
