The Artistic Purgatory, another one of Posada’s famous obituaries, focuses not on specific people, but names of different artistic fields. The unnamed artisans listed here all have a description that narrates their lives and work, leading to their death. Each continues the theme that has been seen in many of these broadsides. They point out that everyone ends up as a skull, no matter who they were or what they did in life. The main panel portrays the calaveras as different recognizable artists, from painters to musicians, all encased in fire. In the individual mentions, Posada drew the skulls with a symbol that represented their field of artistic production.
José Guadalupe Posada (Mexican, 1852-1913)
El Purgatorio Artistico en el que Yacen las Calaveras de los Artistas y Artesanos (The Artistic Purgatory in Which Lie the Skulls of Artists and Craftsmen), 1900-1910
Broadside (recto), etching on zinc, with woodcut, letterpress and relief printing on paper
Miami University Art Museum Purchase
2014.55.23a