GLOBETROTTERS
La Catrina: The Women of Dia de Los Muertos
Finding beauty in death
It’s an image as iconic as Dia de Los Muertos itself. La Calavera Catrina — The Skeleton Catrina.
The image dates back to 1913 when artist and printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada created an etching of a Catrina for publication. She was a traditional skeleton with a large hat topped with plumed feathers and flowers. At the time Posada was famous for using skeletons in his editorial cartoons as an expression of mortality, class, and our ultimate equality.
At the time, a growing Mexican middle class aspired to look like wealthy, aristocratic Europeans — wearing the costumes of the rich. But Posada wanted to show them, through his satirical drawing, that no matter how you dress, or the color of your skin or how rich you are, we will all end up as a calavera (skeleton).
Over the decades since her first appearance, La Catrina has changed — evolving with the styles of each era. The basic skull makeup has been brightened with elaborate henna or tribal-like designs. The costumes have evolved too — each one more elaborate.
