Lamentos que dirique (Laments That Direct) n.d.

Manuel Manilla created this zinc engraving, titled "Lamentos que dirique", around the late nineteenth century in Mexico. The image reflects on the culture of loss that permeated Mexican society at the time. Through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations, Manilla captures the social conditions that shaped artistic production. It is a broadside, and broadsides were often printed to inform the public about an event, or to disseminate prayers or ballads, but this one seems to be a lament, maybe about a specific event, maybe more generally about social conditions at the time. The references to the loss of parents, in particular the mother, is very strong, so it could be about the loss of women in society, and what that meant for children. Art historians can explore archives, libraries, and collections to find similar works and contextualize Manilla's engraving within the broader history of Mexican printmaking and its role in shaping social consciousness. Ultimately, art's meaning lies within its contingent social and institutional context.