The art of the Day of the Dead
By Google Arts & Culture
By Maude Bass-Krueger
Detail of "Un cuento de cartón" Day of the Dead Offering (2011) by Museo Dolores OlmedoMuseo Dolores Olmedo
During the month of October, Mexican families begin preparations for Los Dias de los Muertos, or The Days of the Dead, when the living invite the dead to return, share a feast, reunite with the family and the community, and serve as messengers between the living and the gods.
While customs vary from region to region, and even from village from village, ritual practices include making altars for the deceased, creating paths with flowers or candles from the cemetery to the home to help the dead return, cleaning cemeteries, placing offerings on graves and tombstones, holding vigils, ringing bells, and begging for food. The celebration, which begins at midnight on October 31st and ends on November 2nd, is a festive commemoration rather than as a solemn day of mourning.
The calavera (a word that means “skull” in Spanish but that has come to mean the entire skeleton) has become one of the most recognizable cultural and artistic elements of the Day of the Dead festivities. Made from wood, paper maché, sugar paste, or carved bone, the colorful calavera are joyful, celebratory figures.
Skulls and Marigolds (2012/2012) by LVMSmithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino
Flor del Muerto
Marigolds symbolized death in Aztec culture in pre-Columbian Mexico. These flor del muerto are used to decorate ofrendas and are painted onto the calaveras.
Day of the Dead Folk Art-Sugar Skulls (2012/2012) by LVMSmithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino
Sugar skulls
Calaveras are traditionally made from sugar, representing the sweetness of life. The calaveritas de azucar are part of the ofrenda, and symbolize the “earth” element along with other foods such as mole, chocolate, and pan de muerto (bread of the dead). The other elements are represented in the form of water, set out to quench the spirit’s thirst after its long journey; candles, which signify fire; and papel picado, or tissue-paper cut-outs, whose fluttering movements represent wind.
"Catrina" Doll (2003) by UnknownMuseo Nacional de Antropología, Madrid
La Catrina
The Catrina, a female skeleton wearing fashionable clothes (from catrin, the word for elegance), is the most recognizable female figure for the Day of the Dead. The Catrina figure first appeared under the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911) as a satire of the upper classes.
Made famous around 1910-1913 by the engraver José Guadalupe Posada, the catrina reminds the living of the ephemerality of vanity and serves as a reminder that in the end, all becomes dust.
Catrinas made of clay by unknownMuseo Dolores Olmedo
Catrinas made of clay (Collection: Museo Dolores Olmedo)
Pop Culture Calavera (2012/2012) by LVMSmithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino
Pop culture calaveras
Mexican artists reinterpret calaveras as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations and in their own work. Modern calaveras sometimes incorporate pop culture motifs or refer to contemporary politics.
The Atomic Apocalypse – Day of the Dead (1980/1989)British Museum
This paper-maché equestrian calavera is part of a 132 piece set called “The Atomic Apocalypse” which includes specific references to 20th-century politics, such as the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the Biafran War (1966–70), and the regime of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1901–89) in Iran.
80% H2O (2013 - 2014) by Abner Aod García CasillasHidro Arte - SACMEX
Casillas’ street art calavera incorporates the idea of water in relation to life and death. “Water is essential for earthly existence and in its absence [...] we could not simply exist.”
For Mexicans, the festive Days of the Dead are celebrated much differently than funerals, which are solemn occasions. Over time, the holiday has transformed into a jubilant display of art, literature, and music. The playfulness of contemporary Day of the Dead calaveras represent a counterpoint to the solemnity of death, and a reminder to all to savor the vibrancy of life.
Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
British MuseumHidro Arte - SACMEXMuseo Dolores OlmedoMuseo Nacional de Antropología, MadridSmithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino
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FAQs
The calavera (a word that means “skull” in Spanish but that has come to mean the entire skeleton) has become one of the most recognizable cultural and artistic elements of the Day of the Dead festivities. Made from wood, paper maché, sugar paste, or carved bone, the colorful calavera are joyful, celebratory figures.
What do calaveras represent in Day of the Dead? ›
Calavera de Azucar/Sugar Skulls
Traditionally, sugar skulls are created as ornamental gifts for children and family members during Día de los Muertos. Unlike the ghoulish skulls and skeletons associated with Halloween, these brightly colored skulls represent the departed souls in the circle of life.
What do the colors of the calavera mean? ›
Red represents the blood in our bodies; Christians may see red as representing the blood of Jesus. Orange represents the sun. Yellow: usually in the marigold used in the celebration, represents death. Purple represents grief and pain, in other cultures, it symbolizes wealth and royalty.
What do the colors signify calavera? ›
The yellow skulls represent the sun and unity because under the sun, we are all the same. White is for the spirit and purity, red represents the blood of life, purple represents the understandable mourning that is felt by those who lose loved ones, and the pink skulls signify happiness.
What is the story of the calavera? ›
In 1910, La Calavera Catrina was originally a satire sketch created by Mexican cartoon illustrator Jose Guadalupe Posada. Gloria Sadian with the group, Las Catrinas del Barrio en Houston, said the skeleton look was depicting Mexican high-society's obsession with rich Europeans who powdered their face too much.
Why are calaveras smiling? ›
Sugar skulls represented a departed soul, had the name written on the forehead and was placed on the home ofrenda or gravestone to honor the return of a particular spirit. Sugar skull art reflects the folk art style of big happy smiles, colorful icing and sparkly tin and glittery adornments.
What does the calavera skull symbolize? ›
What is the meaning behind the sugar skull? Each sugar skull represents a departed loved one and is usually placed on an altar — an ofrenda — or even a gravestone as an offering to the spirit of the dead. Sugar skulls are often decorated with the person's name.
What symbols are used in Day of the Dead and why? ›
Flowers, butterflies and skulls are typically used as symbols. The cempasúchil, a type of marigold flower native to Mexico, is often placed on ofrendas and around graves. With their strong scent and vibrant color the petals are used to make a path that leads the spirits from the cemetery to their families' homes.
What is the most famous calavera? ›
Perhaps the most famous of Posada's calaveras is La Calavera de la Catrina, the skeleton of a high-society lady wearing a large, fancy hat. This figure, in particular, has become an icon of the Mexican Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
How old is calavera? ›
Celebrate some Mexican History with Us! La Calavera Catrina is a Mexican icon that dates back to a 1910 zinc etching that was created by the Mexican printmaker, José Guadalupe Posada.
The sugar skulls are decorated colorfully with colored sugar, pieces of bright foil, icing and also bear the name of the deceased member who is being honored. They can last a year if kept dry and safe and are relatively easy to make.
Why are calaveras important? ›
Calaveras are used as a symbol, or a picture that represents a word or idea. Skulls are a symbolof mortality or death and have become linked with Día de los Muertos, a holiday for celebrating and remembering loved ones who have died.
Why is Mexican culture so colorful? ›
Two civilizations, the Aztecs and the Mayan, that have greatly influenced Mexican culture, art and fashion. In general, the basis of Aztec color symbolism was to consider different colors for the four main directions with the ruling god. But the basis of Mayan color symbolism is connection with God.
What do colors mean in Mexican culture? ›
Mexico. Mexico's color palette is a mix of historical associations and the environment's deeply toned offerings. The colors of the Mexican flag are all symbolic: green represents independence or hope, white stands for purity and unity, and red stands for the blood of patriots and other heroes.
Why are sugar skulls colorful? ›
The Spanish term for skulls, calaveras, are not the only decorations present on the ofrendas during the festivities. Even the colors have symbolic meaning: yellow represents death, purple represents grief, and white represents purity and hope.
Why are calaveras placed on the altar? ›
The calaveras are placed at the altar in memory of the loved one, as well. On the nights of Dia de los Muertos, families go to the graveyard with candles and celebrate the life of their loved ones.
