A skeleton serving alcohol, from a broadside enitled 'Medicinas de Patente de mas Fama'

Art Historical Context

In the whimsical yet macabre zincograph *A Skeleton Serving Alcohol*, from theside *Medicinas de Patente de mas Fama* (Famous Patent Medicines), Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada the spirit of 19th-century satire. Created around 1880–1910, this tiny 1.5 x 1.5-inch print depicts a grinning skeleton pouring liquor, poking fun at the era's dubious patent medicines peddled as cures-all. Posada, a master of affordable broadsides, used these mass-produced sheets to critique society, blending humor with stark reminders of mortality. Zincography, Posada's preferred technique, involved etching designs onto zinc plates for relief printing, yielding bold black-and-white contrasts ideal for inexpensive newsprint. This method democratized art, reaching everyday Mexicans through street vendors and newspapers. The skeleton, or *calavera*, draws from Mexican folk traditions like Day of the Dead, symbolizing death's impartiality—even quack remedies couldn't cheat it. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Jean Charlot, 1930), this print exemplifies Posada's enduring legacy. His irreverent imagery influenced Diego Rivera and modern Mexican graphics, turning grim themes into cultural icons that still resonate today.

About the Artist

José Guadalupe Posada · 1852–1913

José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) was a Mexican printmaker and engraver who revolutionized popular art and created some of the most iconic images in Mexican culture. Working primarily with publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, he produced over 20,000 images during his career—inexpensive broadsheets sold for a penny on colored paper that made his art accessible to even the poorest workers. He transform...