St Anthony of Padua holding the Christ child
1900–1910
Medium
Zincograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 7/16 × 5 5/16 in. (24 × 13.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Accession
Accession Number
Ref.Posada5
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the early 20th century, printmaker José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913) captured the devotion of everyday people through affordable zincographs like *St. Anthony of Pad Holding the Christ Child* (ca. 1900–1910). This intimate print, measuring just 9 7/16 × 5 5/16 inches, the beloved Franciscan saint cradling the infant Jesus—a classic iconographic motif symbolizing Anthony's mystical visions and role as patron of lost things, families, and travelers. Posada, often working anonymously or with assistants, blended folk art with sharp social commentary, but here his focus turns to tender religious...
About the Artist
José Guadalupe Posada|Anonymous · 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...