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| Mexican Handcrafts of Guanajuato. Mexico
Popularized by José Guadalupe Posada, this Catrina is
the skeleton of an upper class woman with large breasts and
one of the most popular figures of the Day of the Dead celebrations, which
occur during two days, November 1 and November 2, corresponding with the Catholic holy days of All Saints
Day and All Souls Day.
Although these holy days have a long cultural history reaching into the
prehistoric traditions of several European cultures, many aspects of the
Mexican festival have indigenous origins in an Aztec festival
dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl.
After the conquest of Mexico, the Spanish superimposed their cultural
traditions upon the similar Aztec festival and a synthesis occurred.
La Catrina, as it is commonly known, was a popular
print in Posada's day, but soon faded from the popular memory. Along with the
rest of Posada's prints, it was revived by French artist and art historian Jean Charlot shortly
after the Mexican Revolution in the 1920s. La
Catrina soon gained iconic status as a symbol of uniquely Mexican art and
was reproduced en masse.
The image was incorporated into Diego Rivera's
mural Dream of a Sunday in Alameda Park, which also includes images of his
wife Frida Kahlo,
Posada, and a self-portrait of Rivera.
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Monday, October 31, 2011
La Catrina
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6 comments:
Fabulous image Carraol, so nice to see where Aimee actually got her inspiration!! Thanks again for explaining this morning.
Una imagen de lo mas apropiada para estas fechas.
Un abrazo.
Terrific post for today. Years ago I saw a beautiful statue of one of the Day of the Dead figures as a bride in full wedding finery. To this day I regret not buying it. Happy Halloween and most important, Día de los Muertos!
All of them are superb! Very interesting post for today:)
Con tu permiso voy a coger la idea de tu canción ..
Gracias por tu trabajo.
No se si el otro comentario entro, pero te dejo que me voy a tomar un reposado, jjj. VIVA LA VIDA.
Perfect post for the day. Mexican folk art is always so colorful, even when associated with death. Captivating.
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