Broadside with 48 scenes depicting the triumphal entry and burial and entry of the new carnival

Art Historical Context

This captivating broadside by Antonio Bosch, created around 1860–70, offers a vivid snapshot of 19th-century carnival festivities through 48 intricate scenes. Titled *Broadside with 48 depicting the triumphal entry burial and entry of the carnival*, it captures theant procession of men, women, and in a grand triumphal entry, the symbolic "burial" marking the end of revelries, and the ushering of a new cycle. on a modest sheet measuring 17 /16 × 12 3/8 inches, such broadsides were popular ephemera—affordable, large-format announcements shared in public spaces to hype community events. The artwork's medium, a lithographic reproduction of a wood engraving, highlights mid-19th-century printmaking innovation. Wood engraving allowed for fine, detailed lines ideal for bustling crowd scenes, while lithography enabled mass production, making these lively depictions accessible to everyday viewers. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (acquired via the Max G. Wildnauer Fund in 1978), it exemplifies how prints preserved fleeting cultural rituals. Bosch's composition immerses us in the joy and ritual of carnival—a vital social tradition blending satire, performance, and renewal—reminding visitors of print's power to document communal life in an era before photography dominated. A delightful window into historical merriment!