Artist and political cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada
(1852–1913) is best known for his calavera caricatures, in particular, Calavera
Garbancera, more commonly known as “La Catrina.”
La Catrina was meant as mockery of Mexico’s high society and a protest of the Porfiriato, the regime of Mexican dictator Porfirio Díaz, whose repressive ways led to the Mexican Revolution commanded by Emiliano Zapata... and Francisco Villa. Posada was ridiculing Mexicans, who like Díaz, shunned their own Indianness for the Victorian styles of the day. Díaz was eventually exiled to France, and the demands of Zapata and Villa were incorporated into the Mexican Constitution.
Posada’s many other calavera caricatures depicted the daily lives of campesinos and common folk, which endeared him to many. His work inspired generations of Mexicans. From Orozco and Rivera, to a countless number of contemporary artists, Posada’s influence is still felt. In recent years, Posada’s calavera caricatures have been incorporated intoMexico’s Día de Muertos celebrations. Special thanks to ENLACE for volunteering their time for the Downtown celebration in Farmington on Saturday, November 1!
La Catrina was meant as mockery of Mexico’s high society and a protest of the Porfiriato, the regime of Mexican dictator Porfirio Díaz, whose repressive ways led to the Mexican Revolution commanded by Emiliano Zapata... and Francisco Villa. Posada was ridiculing Mexicans, who like Díaz, shunned their own Indianness for the Victorian styles of the day. Díaz was eventually exiled to France, and the demands of Zapata and Villa were incorporated into the Mexican Constitution.
Posada’s many other calavera caricatures depicted the daily lives of campesinos and common folk, which endeared him to many. His work inspired generations of Mexicans. From Orozco and Rivera, to a countless number of contemporary artists, Posada’s influence is still felt. In recent years, Posada’s calavera caricatures have been incorporated intoMexico’s Día de Muertos celebrations. Special thanks to ENLACE for volunteering their time for the Downtown celebration in Farmington on Saturday, November 1!
