The artwork, titled “Bikes [Skeletons (calaveras) riding bicycles]”, was created by the artist Jose Guadalupe Posada around the year 1900. It belongs to the art movement known as Modernismo and measures 15.4 x 26.8 cm. The genre of this artwork is caricature, and it is currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York City, NY, US.
The artwork depicts a whimsical and macabre scene featuring skeletons, often referred to as calaveras, riding bicycles. The skeletons are portrayed in various animated poses, each engaging in the act of cycling, some with exaggerated expressions and motions that add a humorous touch to the composition. They are adorned with distinctive accessories such as hats and capes, which evoke a sense of individuality amongst the skeletal figures. The detailed and intricate rendering of the bicycles, as well as the skeletal forms, showcases Posada’s skill in capturing both movement and character within the constraints of a monochromatic palette. The overall effect is a lively tableau that plays on themes of life, death, and the absurd, characteristic of Posada’s iconic artistic style.