A man with a glass in his hand looking downwards and leaning on a table, an illustration from 'El huérfano'
ca. 1880–1910
Medium
Type-metal engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 9/16 × 5 1/2 in. (9 × 14 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Jean Charlot, 1930
Accession Number
30.82.80
Tags
Art Historical Context
José Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican printmaker active from the late 19th to early 20th century, captures a poignant moment of melancholy in this type-metal engraving from *El huérfano* (The Orphan), circa 1880–1910. The image depicts a solitary man, glass in hand, gazing downward while leaning heavily on a table—a stark portrayal of introspection amid drink. Created for popular broadsheets and publications in Mexico City, Posada's works often infused everyday scenes with sharp social commentary, reflecting the struggles of ordinary folk during the Porfiriato era, a time of rapid modernization sha...
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...