After Mexico declared
its independence from Spain, art suffered in that considerable
socioeconomic instability followed. This adversely affected
art as artists and architects could not easily find people
interested enough in the work to pay for it. Thus, development
in this area dwindled for quite some time.
In the late
19th Century, financial situating of many had changed and
taken a turn for the better, evidenced by increasing interest
in artwork. Commissions picked up again. This era was characterized
by the tendency to imitate the art of then-contemporary Europe,
especially French art and the norm was for aspiring Mexican
artists to study for a time in Paris. José
Guadalupe Posada was a prominent Mexican artist of the
late 19th century who produced violent, powerful posters,
lithographs, and woodcuts of contemporary scenes.
