Broadsheet relating to the story of a falling meteor that was interpreted by Catholics as God's punishment to the people of the town of Alamos for their poor reception of Bishop Pedro Moreno
Medium
Type-metal engraving and letterpress on tan paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 11 13/16 × 7 7/8 in. (30 × 20 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.46.119
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of early 20th-century Mexican popular printmaking with this striking 1903 broadsheet by José Guadalupe Posada and Antonio Vanegas Arroyo. Titled *Broadsheet relating to the story of a falling meteor was interpreted by Catholics as God's punishment to the people of town of Alamos for their poor reception of Bishop Pedro Moreno it captures a sensational local event in Alamos, Sonora. The image likely features men, horses, and carriages, evoking the chaotic arrival or mishandled welcome of Bishop Pedro Moreno, followed by a dramatic meteor strike seen as divine retribution—a perfect blend of news, folklore, and Catholic fervor. Posada, a master of satirical and macabre prints, was renowned for his bold type-metal engravings that commented on Mexican society, often with skeletal motifs symbolizing death's inevitability. Here, produced via letterpress on modest tan paper (11 13/16 × 7 7/8 in.), the broadsheet exemplifies the affordable,-distributed format that brought current events to the masses. These *corridos ilustrados* were cultural touchstones, merging text and image to fuel public discourse on religion, superstition, and authority. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, 1946), this piece highlights Posada's enduring influence on Mexican graphic arts, bridging folk tradition and modern satire for everyday audiences.
About the Artist
José Guadalupe Posada|Antonio Vanegas Arroyo · 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...