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.