A skull with a beard

Art Historical Context

Created around the turn of the 20th century, “A skull with a beard” is a striking zincograph by the celebrated Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada. Working in a period of political upheaval just before the Mexican Revolution, Posada produced thousands of affordable broadsheets that reached a wide public. This tiny print—measuring barely an inch across—shows his signature calavera, or skull, motif rendered with economical yet expressive lines made possible by the zinc plate technique, which allowed for quick, inexpensive reproduction. Posada’s skeletal figures were never simply macabre; they served as witty commentaries on human vanity and social inequality. The bearded skull, dressed perhaps in a hat or collar, gently mocks the pretensions of the living while reminding viewers of life’s brevity. Such images became central to Mexico’s Day of the Dead imagery and helped shape a distinctly Mexican graphic tradition that influenced later artists from Diego Rivera to contemporary printmakers. Today, this delicate zincograph in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection offers a miniature window onto Posada’s world, where humor and mortality walked hand in hand. Its modest size belies the outsized role these prints played in shaping popular visual culture across Mexico and beyond.

About the Artist

José Sanchez|José Guadalupe Posada (Mexican|Mexican) · 1895 |1851 –1910 |1913

Mexican, active ca. 1900–1910|Mexican, 1851–1913