Los toreros (juguete) (Bullfighters) 1942

Editor: Here we have "Los toreros (juguete)", or "Bullfighters," created by José Guadalupe Posada in 1942. It's a print, and honestly, the way the figures are stacked gives me a slightly unsettling feeling, like a precarious tower of characters. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, I feel it too. It's like a visual echo of Mexican history, isn't it? Posada was a master of capturing the country's mood. These stacked bullfighters – almost like building blocks for a satirical statement – remind me of societal structures, especially the inherent ridiculousness of power. Editor: Satirical, you say? Curator: Absolutely! Look at their faces! They’re grotesque caricatures. Think about the context, too. This was post-revolution Mexico, still finding its footing. Posada's work often poked fun at authority, tradition, and well, everything, really. It’s not just bullfighting; it’s society under the microscope, seen through a very funhouse lens. It makes me think of those "build-a-face" toys - playful yet subtly distorted. What do you think he's trying to say? Editor: I suppose that there is more than initially meets the eye here, like some figures are meant to prop up or act in service of the figure or figures on top, maybe it has something to say about the socioeconomic hierarchy, or about art in general. It's quite telling that there's such depth here. Curator: Exactly! And isn't that the magic of Posada? He's disarming, funny even, but packs a powerful punch. These prints, affordable to the masses, spoke truth to power with a wink. I always learn something new from his pieces, maybe even about myself and how I look at art.