A skeleton dressed as a military figure (vignette for the feast of the dead)
ca. 1890–1910
Medium
Type-metal engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 × 2 3/16 in. (7 × 5.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Jean Charlot, 1930
Accession Number
30.82.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the whimsical yet poignant world of José Guadalupe Pos, Mexican printmaker extraordinaire (1852–1913), this tiny type-metal engraving titled *A Skeleton Dressed as a Military (Vignette for the Feast the Dead)* captures the artist's signature flair for *calaveras*—skeletal figures that mock the living. Created around 1890–1910, the vignette depicts a bony soldier in full regalia, sword at the ready, embodying Posada's satirical take on death's impartiality. No matter one's rank or pomp, all are equal in the grave, a theme perfect for Mexico's *Día de Muertos* celebrations. Posada, a master ...
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...