Vista Art Projects: Jose Guadalupe Posada Political Art

Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) Aguascalientes

-Mexican cartoonist, artist and illustrator who has influenced many artists in Latin America

-work is satrical and political

-His early education of reading, writing, and drawing were by his schoolteacher brother Cirilo.

-Early printshop experience began as a teenager where he learned lithography and engraving.

-l87l began his career as a political cartoonist for a local newspaper in his hometown.

-Lost his job and newspaper folded after 11 issues because of Posada's commentary.

-l875 moved to Leon, Guanajuato and met and married Maria de Jesus Vela.

-With a former associate he opened a commerical printing and illustration shop specializing in religious and historical images such as the Virgin of Guadalupe.

-1888 after many years of success a flood hit the city and destroyed his business. He moved to Mexico City were he worked for a publishing firm and illustrated various book covers with his artwork.

-Posada is best known for his "Calaveras" such as the "Calavera de la Catrina" (the Calavera of the female Dandy- which means to satirize the life of the upper classes during the reign of Porfirio dias.

-Most of his imagery has religious or satirical references.

-Much of his work is now associated with "Day of the Dead"

-Forgotten in life he had a reawakening in the l920's by a French artist Jean Charlot who saw his images at the home of Diego Rivera.

-Posada died in poverty but has remained a major influence to many Mexican artists.