Born in the state of Aguascalientes, in Mexico, to a poor
family, José Guadalupe Posada worked as a lithography
teacher early on in life. In 1887, he moved to Mexico City
and began working as a newspaper illustrator. He is well known
for his sketches and drawings in which the main theme is death.
He worked for printing presses, advertising and marketing
ventures, he illustrated books and printed signs, made portraits
of historical figures and also created religious imagery.
Drawing political cartoons was what he enjoyed doing most
and his work in general was very much focused on political,
social and moral themes. Posada had a hand in creating some
of the images that are associated with the Mexican celebration
“el Día de los Muertos”, the Day of the
Dead, as he was the artist who best reflected the social attitudes
and ways of life of Mexicans, through his sketches of skeletons
dressed in gala attire at get-togethers and parties held by
the wealthy. He used his skeleton sketches to poke fun at
the upper class, pointing out the corruption, misery and political
mistakes of the time, which often placed him in jail.
Posada died poor and was buried in a sixth-class grave in
the City of Mexico.
