Posada’s composition is largely based on standard crucifixion scenes created by European artists for centuries. Different, however, is the inclusion of a member of the lower socio- economic strata of Mexico. Traditional representations of the scene include saints and sometimes the patron(s) who commissioned the painting for personal use or for the Church. This is consistent with Arroyo’s and Posada’s attempts to reach audiences other than the elite. The presence of a contemporary commoner present at the time of the crucifixion brings the importance of the religious event closer to the faithful urban and rural poor of Posada’s time.
José Guadalupe Posada (Mexican, 1852-1913)
Verdadero Retrato de la Milagrosa Imagen del Santo Cristo del Espino (True Portrait of the Miraculous Image of the Holy Christ of Espin), 1910
Broadside (recto), intaglio on paper
Miami University Art Museum Purchase
2014.55.15a