A group of mother-in-laws flanked by two men
ca. 1880–1910
Medium
Type-metal engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 7/8 × 5 3/16 in. (9.8 × 13.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Jean Charlot, 1930
Accession Number
30.82.110
Tags
Art Historical Context
José Guadalupe Posada, a pioneering Mexican printmaker active from the late 19th to early 20th century, was renowned for his sharp social satire and iconic calavera (skeleton) imagery that critiqued Mexican society during the Porfiriato era. This type-metal engraving, titled *A Group of Mother-in-Laws Flanked by Two Men* (ca. 1880–1910), exemplifies his humorous take on everyday life, poking fun at familial tensions and gender dynamics through exaggerated figures. Produced as part of his vast output for popular broadsheets like *La Patria Illustrada*, the small-scale print (3 7/8 × 5 3/16 in.)...
About the Artist
José Guadalupe Posada · 1852–1913
José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) was a Mexican printmaker and engraver who revolutionized popular art and created some of the most iconic images in Mexican culture. Working primarily with publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, he produced over 20,000 images during his career—inexpensive broadsheets sold for a penny on colored paper that made his art accessible to even the poorest workers. He transform...