The Grim Reaper
Centered in a lavender square, a tiny skeleton gallops furiously on horseback, illustrating a playful take on mortality by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada. Known for his satirical 'calaveras' (skeletons), Posada used this stark, realistic style to poke fun at society and the inevitability of death. The Spanish verse below jokes about a race where 'no one shall escape,' a clever double meaning referring to both the Grim Reaper and the cheap price of the prints themselves, which were sold on the streets for mere pennies ('de a medio y también de a real'). These iconic images eventually became the visual foundation for Mexico's Day of the Dead celebrations.
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