A woman crying with a handkerchief in her hand talking to an old hag, illustration for 'La Niña de las Perlas, published by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Art Historical Context

This poignant type-metal engraving, titled *A Woman Crying with a Hand in Her Hand Talking to an Old Hag*, an illustration by the renowned Mexican printmaker José Posada (with possible collaboration by José Sanchez) for the popular broadsheet *La Niña de las Perlas*, published Antonio Vanegas Arroyo around1880–1910. Posada, a master of satirical and folk-inspired prints, worked extensively with Arroyo to produce affordable, widely circulated sheets that blended text and imagery, capturing the drama of everyday Mexican life during the late Porfiriato era. The small-scale image (5 3/8 × 3 7/16 in.) depicts a tearful young woman clutching a handkerchief while conversing with a wizened old woman, evoking themes of sorrow, gossip, or misfortune common in corridos—narrative ballads turned into visual stories. Crafted via type-metal engraving, a relief printing technique using durable metal plates, it allowed for inexpensive mass production on presses, making art accessible to the working class. This method's bold lines and stark contrasts highlight the emotional intensity, a hallmark of Posada's style that influenced later Mexican graphic arts. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Roberto Berdecio, 1960), this print reflects the cultural vibrancy of Mexico's popular press, where women’s experiences—grief, resilience, and social bonds—were vividly portrayed for a broad audience, bridging high art and street literature.

About the Artist

José Sanchez|José Guadalupe Posada (Mexican|Mexican) · 1895 |1851 –1910 |1913

Mexican, active ca. 1900–1910|Mexican, 1851–1913