José Guadalupe Posada: Legendary Printmaker of Mexico

One of Mexico’s most celebrated artists was a printmaker, a common man who died a pauper, his body interred in an unmarked grave.  Yet, José Guadalupe Posada reached his countrymen through perhaps more than 20,000 images documenting nearly every aspect of life. As Mexico modernized in the late 19th century, its capital bustled with published materials to satisfy the growing metropolis and its budding middle class, intelligentsias, and thousands of new residents relocating from the countryside.  Employed by the visionary publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, Posada created expressive images reflecting and informing the transitioning culture of Mexico City’s residents, many of whom were illiterate. Posada’s satirical skeletons, or calaveras, have become the most iconic and celebrated of his work.

Decades after his death, art historians and artists continue to recognize Posada’s cultural contributions, reflecting not only the spirit of Mexican identity in his time and ours but imparting a universal perspective extending well beyond the borders of his native Mexico. Underwriting Posada’s legacy was his main editor Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, whose hand directed and crafted the publications displaying and catering to the popular culture of Mexico.

This exhibition was curated and organised by Lee Cohen and Lois Sarkisian in association with Landau Traveling Exhibitions. Exhibition Tour Management by Landau Traveling Exhibitions.

José Guadalupe Posada: Legendary Printmaker of Mexico was organized by the Catalina Island Museum in association with the Posada Art Foundation, the largest collection of Posada’s artworks privately held in the United States.