calaveras

The term "calaveras" refers to animated skeletons or skulls, most famously depicted by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada in the early 20th century. His most iconic creation is La Calavera Catrina, a skeleton dressed in fashionable European attire, which satirized the upper classes and symbolized a macabre egalitarianism—death comes for all, regardless of status.12

Posada's illustrations were often printed on broadsides to spread information and commentary. Catrina, initially a critique of those who adopted European fashions over their heritage, became a national symbol of modern Mexico. Her image is now widely recognized and emulated during Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, a holiday that honors the deceased and embraces death as a natural part of life.13