The artwork titled “Los siete vicios” by the artist Jose Guadalupe Posada is created in the Modernismo art movement and belongs to the caricature genre.
In this artwork, Posada illustrates a scene enveloped with frantic energy. The central figure is a disheveled man, depicted in a state of shock or terror, with wide eyes and arms raised as if to ward off danger. Surrounding him are monstrous creatures, each representing one of the seven deadly sins, labeled accordingly: avaricia (greed), ira (wrath), gula (gluttony), soberbia (pride), envidia (envy), pereza (sloth), and lujuria (lust). The creatures are fantastical, partaking in dragon-like features with menacing claws and teeth, conveying a sense of chaos and moral warning. The use of sharp lines and high contrast in black and white further emphasizes the dramatic nature of the scene. Through this caricature, Posada employs a critical, yet humorously exaggerated examination of human vices.
