A man jumping up after pricking his finger on a cactus
ca. 1880–1910
Medium
Type-metal engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 3/16 × 4 1/8 in. (10.7 × 10.5 cm) Image: 2 15/16 × 2 5/8 in. (7.5 × 6.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Roberto Berdecio, 1960
Accession Number
60.678.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *A Man Jumping Up After Pricking Finger on a Cactus a delightful type-metal engraving by the renowned Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, possibly in collaboration with José Sanchez, around 1880–1910. This tiny gem, measuring just under 3 by 2 ½ inches in its image area, captures a split-second of comedic misfortune: a man leaping in surprise after tangling with a spiky cactus. Posada's sharp, expressive line work brings the scene to life with exaggerated motion and wry humor, poking fun at everyday mishaps in Mexican life. Crafted in type-metal engraving—a relief printing techni...
About the Artist
José Guadalupe Posada|José Sanchez · 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...