Broadsheet relating to a young girl who was beheaded while her father Tomás Sánchez left her at home alone
José Guadalupe Posada|Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, ca. 1902
About this artwork
This chilling broadsheet from around 1902 captures a tragic real-life crime in Mexico: the beheading of a young girl home alone by her father, Sánchez. Produced by master printmaker José Guadalupe Posada publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, it exemplifies the sensational "calaveras" and "corridos ilustrados"—illustrated ballads recounting murders, disasters, and moral tales for the masses. Posada's stark, skeletal imagery and dramatic vignettes turned everyday horrors into gripping public spectacles, blending news with folklore. Printed via zincograph (a zinc-plate lithography technique for sharp, affordable reproductions) and letterpress on humble tan paper, the 11 13/16 × 7 7/8 in. sheet was designed for street vendors to sell cheaply. Posada's bold black lines and exaggerated figures, hallmarks of his satirical style, influenced Mexican popular art and Día de los Muertos traditions, immortalizing death's ubiquity in early 20th-century society. Held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this print offers a window into Mexico's vibrant print culture, where art democratized tragedy and warned of urban dangers like neglect and violence. A stark reminder of Posada's enduring legacy as the voice of the people.