A woman surrounded by demons stabbing a man to death from a broadside entitled 'Horroroso Asesinato'

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th and early 20th, Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, often in collaboration with printer José Sanchez, captivated audiences with his zincographs—inexpensive prints made from zinc plates that allowed for quick, widespread distribution via broadsides. These single-sheet publications sensationalized news events, crimes, and folklore for the working-class public in Mexico City. "A woman surrounded by demons stabbing a man to death," the broadside *Horroroso Ases* (ca. 1880–1910), exemplifies Posada's signature macabre style, blending stark social commentary with supernatural drama. The compact image (just 3 9/16 × 5 5/16 in.) depicts a frenzied murder scene: a woman, encircled by leering demons, plunges a knife into a man, evoking moral panic over crime and vice. Posada's bold black lines and skeletal motifs, precursors to his famous *calaveras* (Day of the Dead skeletons), infused popular prints with gothic flair, critiquing societal ills amid Mexico's turbulent pre-Revolutionary era. Printed for tabloid-like broadsides, it reflects how art democratized horror and justice narratives. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Roberto Berdecio, 1960), this zincograph highlights Posada's enduring influence on Mexican graphic art and pop culture, from murals to modern tattoos.

About the Artist

José Guadalupe Posada|José Sanchez · 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...