John Fulton: Facing death in the afternoon in Seville

Not many foreigners have left their mark on traditional Spanish customs, with the exception of a few, mainly Americans, who became well established in their chosen fields.

One of these was John Fulton, a Philadelphia-born artist who became one of only two Americans (the other was Sidney Franklin) to receive the 'alternativa' in Spain, the ceremony in which a novice becomes a full matador.

Fulton performed as a 'novillero' (novice) with several of Spain's leading bullfighters, before receiving the title of matador in Seville in 1963. He had previously spent weekends fighting bulls in Mexican border towns during a two-year army stint in San Antonio, before attempting to break in to the tight-knit bullfighting sector in Spain.

First and foremost, Fulton was an artist who painted many of his instinctive bullfight scenes in bull's blood. However, at an early age, he set his sights on becoming a bullfighter and headed to Seville. However, his journey into Seville's Maestranza bullring was not easy, because, in his words, "this was one of the most critical audiences around".

Born the son of a Hungarian mother and an Italian father in 1932, Fulton, was a professional bullfighter for more than 40 years, and he became a cult hero, especially among visiting Americans. He is said to have greatly impressed Ernest Hemingway, who reportedly slipped him a 100-dollar banknote after one particular fight.

Fulton performed his last fight at the age of 61 in 1994, after which, he concentrated on painting in his studio, located in the Santa Cruz district of Seville, which today bears a plaque to mark the spot.

Fulton also worked as a guide to the American author James A. Michener during his research for the book Iberia.

At the time of his death, in 1998, he was working on his biography, which he intended to call The Memoirs of John Quixote.