Posada, José Guadalupe

Mexico, (1852-1913)

  • José Guadalupe Posada - LAS TENTACIONES DE SAN ANTONIO
  • LAS TENTACIONES DE SAN ANTONIO

  • [The Temptations of St. Anthony]
  • (1910), relief etching on zinc
  • 3.98 x 4.76 in. (10.1 x 12.1 cm.)
  • Monografia: las Obras de José Guadalupe Posada (1930)
  • Editor’s Note:

    During his lifetime, the majority of Posada’ s work appeared in penny press publications where the audience required a narrative pictorial style that could be understood even if, for some, the text could not. Accordingly, Posada worked in a narrative style that was intelligible to the great masses of Mexico’s people. From his viewpoint as a member of the urban, working class, Posada created a portrait of his life and times of great originality, force, and humor.

    The lower classes that purchased these could enjoy a vicarious victory over the daily injustices and coercion of landowners and government officials who were so cavalierly flaunted by the tough and daring bandits or valientes celebrated in these verses. There is a long tradition in Mexican art to lampoon saints and sinners alike and Posada not only addressed the issues of a society in conflict prior to the revolution, he perpetuated the role of art as an outlet for protest within Mexican society.

About the Artist

José Guadalupe Posada, Mexico, (1852-1913). Posada was born in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico. He worked as a lithographer in Mexico City where he became a newspaper illustrator. His graphic work often dealt with political, social and moral themes.

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