“Ballad of the Supplicants to San Antonio,” created by Jose Guadalupe Posada in 1870, is an artwork associated with the Modernismo art movement. Classified as a caricature, this piece uses exaggerated and comic elements to convey its subject matter.
The artwork presents a scene with multiple human figures engaged in animated, expressive gestures. The characters, clad in varying attires suggesting different social statuses or roles, appear to be in some form of ritualistic or celebratory movement. Some figures are shown with their hands raised, while others seem to be playing musical instruments or clapping, capturing a moment full of motion and emotion. The use of bold lines and stylized forms is indicative of Posada’s signature technique, rendering the scene with both clarity and dynamic energy. The monochromatic palette underscores the graphic nature of the caricature, drawing attention to the actions and expressions of the figures involved.
