A son strangling his mother while people try to pull him off
ca. 1880–1910
Medium
Type-metal engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 15/16 × 5 5/16 in. (10 × 13.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Jean Charlot, 1930
Accession Number
30.82.109
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the turbulent world of late 19th- and early 20th-century Mexico, José Guadalupe Posada captured the raw drama of everyday life—and its darkest moments—through his masterful prints. This type-metal engraving, titled *A Son Strangling His Mother While People to Pull Him Off*ca. 1880–1910), depicts a scene of familial violence interrupted by bystanders, reflecting Posada's signature style of, satirical illustration. Working primarily for Mexico City's penny press under publishers like Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, Posada produced thousands of broadsheets that sensationalized crimes, disasters, and s...
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...