Totenschädel für den Polizisten

José Guadalupe Posada

Totenschädel für den Polizisten by José Guadalupe Posada

Meet the busiest skeleton in Mexico! This tiny, strutting skeleton policeman is one of José Guadalupe Posada’s famous 'calaveras,' created to poke fun at society and politics in the early 1900s. The accompanying poem hilariously mocks a cop who was so 'diligent' at watching that he let thieves do their job perfectly—so Death (la huesuda) took him out quickly! Posada’s skeletal figures became iconic symbols of Mexico’s Day of the Dead, proving that a good laugh at authority never really dies. These prints were originally cheap broadsides sold in markets, making art for the everyday person.

Technique
woodcut print
Material
paper
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