An old man with spectacles and one hand behind his back painting on a wooden block, illustration for 'El Rey que Rabio'
ca. 1880–1910
Medium
Type-metal engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 3/4 × 4 5/8 in. (17.1 × 11.7 cm) Image: 5 5/16 × 3 3/8 in. (13.5 × 8.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Roberto Berdecio, 1960
Accession Number
60.678.26
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving by José Guadalupe Posada captures an elderly man intently at work, spectacles perched on his nose as he paints on a wooden block with one hand tucked behind his. Created as an illustration for the story *El Rey que Rabió*, the image reflects the lively tradition of Mexican popular printmaking during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Posada’s keen eye for everyday characters brings a sense of quiet concentration and humanity to the scene. Executed in type-metal engraving, a technique well suited to mass reproduction, the print highlights Posada’s mastery of crisp lines and expressive detail within a modest format. Such works were commonly used to accompany stories, songs, and news in broadsides and books, making art accessible to a wide audience. Today, this piece offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of Mexican graphic arts and the enduring appeal of storytelling through images.
About the Artist
José Sanchez|José Guadalupe Posada (Mexican|Mexican) · 1895 |1851 –1910 |1913
Mexican, active ca. 1900–1910|Mexican, 1851–1913