La Calavera Catrina

For the 2005 storm, see Hurricane Katrina.

For other storms with this name, see Tropical Storm Katrina (disambiguation).

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La Calavera de la Catrina

La Calavera de la Catrina is a 1913 zinc etching by Mexican engraver and printmaker José Guadalupe Posada. The image has since become a staple of Mexican imagery, and is often incorporated into artistic manifestations of the Day of the Dead such as altars and calavera costumes. It was part of his series of calaveras, which were humorous images of contemporary figures depicted as skeletons, often accompanied by a poem.

A rendition of La Calavera de la Catrina in sculpture

The word "catrina" is the feminine form of the word "catrín", which means "dandy". The figure, depicted in an ornate hat fashionable at the time, is intended to show that the rich and fashionable, despite their pretensions to importance, are just as susceptible to death as anyone else.

La Catrina, as it is commonly known, was a popular print in Posada's day, but soon faded from the popular memory. It, like the rest of Posada's prints, was revived by a French artist and art historian Jean Charlot shortly after the Mexican Revolution. La Catrina soon gained iconic status as a symbol of a 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 Posada, Rivera himself, and his wife Frida Kahlo. In addition to its use as a holiday symbol for the Day of the Dead, it has also been reinterpreted in numerous forms, including sculpture.

In Pop Culture

In the United States, many introductory Spanish classes watch a mystery-themed television series called "La Catrina". The series, which is in Spanish, is used by many teachers to increase the language skills of their students. Each episode is approximately twenty minutes long. The first season, which contains 14 episodes, follows the story of Jamie González, a high school senior from Los Angeles who wins a scholarship to study in Querétaro, México. The series follows Jamie's attempt to learn more about her great grandmother. Throughout the first season, the mystery unravels as she learns more about how the "La Catrina" legend is related to her family history.

A second season of the series also was made, titled "El Ultimo Secreto." The second season also follows the life of Jamie.