A profile of a man with a large nose looking to the left

Art Historical Context

This modest zincograph, titled *A Profile of a Man with a Large Nose to the Left*, captures the keen observational eye of José Guadalupe Pos, a pioneering Mexican print active from around 1880 to 1910. Created on a tiny zinc plate—measuring just 1 1/16 × 13/16 inches—the image exemplifies Posada's mastery of zincography, a lithographic technique using zinc sheets for affordable, high-contrast reproductions. These prints were ideal for Mexico's burgeoning popular press, disseminating art to everyday audiences amid rapid social change. Posada, often collaborating with publishers like José Sanchez, was renowned for his satirical broadsheets that critiqued politics, society, and death through bold, caricature-like forms. Though this profile lacks his iconic calaveras (skeletal figures), its exaggerated nose and sharp silhouette reflect his caricatural style, rooted in 19th-century European influences yet distinctly Mexican in its populist spirit. Produced during the Porfiriato era and prelude to the Mexican Revolution, such works commented on human folly and vanity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Roberto Berdecio, 1960), this intimate portrait invites us to ponder Posada's enduring legacy: bridging fine art and folk culture, inspiring later muralists like Diego Rivera. A testament to art's power in the masses.

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...