“Gran calavera eléctrica,” an artwork created by the esteemed artist Jose Guadalupe Posada, is a significant contribution to the Modernismo art movement. Classified as a caricature, this piece showcases Posada’s characteristic style and social commentary.
The artwork depicts a dramatic and satirical scene featuring a large skeleton figure, animated and expressive, engaging with a multitude of smaller skulls scattered across the foreground. The skeletons are highly detailed, highlighting Posada’s mastery in line work and his ability to convey emotion and narrative through skeletal forms. In the background, a tramcar is crowded with more skeletal passengers, adding a dynamic and almost surreal quality to the composition. The backdrop, portraying a cemetery with prominent trees and a gate, enriches the scene with a sense of place and context, reflecting the themes of death and social critique prevalent in Posada’s work.