Artwork
La Mujer de Cien Maridos - Como Alfileres Prendidos
La Mujer de Cien Maridos - Como Alfileres Prendidos is a print by José Guadalupe Posada. It dates from 1901 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1901, La Mujer de Cien Maridos – Como Alfileres Prendidos is a metalcut print by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada. Executed on red newsprint, the work presents a densely populated tableau centered on a single woman surrounded by an implausibly large number of husbands, rendered as if they were pins clustered together.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes a solitary female figure with a chaotic assemblage of male figures, suggesting a satirical commentary on marital excess or social expectations. The woman's calm expression amid the surrounding bustle invites viewers to consider the tension between individual agency and collective pressure within domestic narratives.
Technique & Style
Posada employed metalcut, a relief printing method that allows for bold, graphic lines and stark contrasts. The limited palette of black ink on red paper heightens the visual impact, while the simplified shapes and linear contours emphasize the scene’s frenetic energy, echoing the artist’s broader engagement with popular visual culture.
History & Provenance
First issued in the early twentieth‑century Mexican print market, the piece circulated as part of Posada’s prolific output of socially charged imagery. It has since been held in several public collections specializing in Latin American graphic art, reflecting its role in documenting everyday life and popular humor of the period.
Context
Posada’s work emerged during a time of rapid urbanization and political change in Mexico, when affordable prints served as a primary vehicle for satire and social critique. The image’s crowded composition and use of everyday materials align with the broader tradition of Mexican popular prints that addressed contemporary concerns through accessible visual language.
Artist & collection
