The Calavera Catrina emerges as one of the most emblematic figures of Mexican visual culture: an elegantly dressed female skull, adorned with a large decorated hat, now a recognized symbol of Día de los Muertos. Despite having a playful aspect, its genesis and meaning are anything but superficial, intertwining social criticism, cultural identity and reflections on death.
The cultural and mythological roots
The image of the Catrina does not arise from nothing: its iconography draws inspiration from pre-Columbian Mesoamerican traditions. In particular, the figure of the goddess Mictecacihuatl, ruler of the underworld in Aztec mythology, has been identified as one of the archetypes alluded to by the idea of a female entity linked to death.
Furthermore, on the European side, macabre art and “death dances” provided visual models of clothed skulls and skeletons that blended, in the Mexican context, with these indigenous traditions.
This intertwining – between indigenous roots, Christian symbolism and social satire – has given shape to the image of death “in dress” which is the Catrina.
The modern birth: José Guadalupe Posada and social satire
In Mexico, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the artist José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) created one of the most famous representations: a female skeleton with a large European-style hat, in an engraving dated between 1910 and 1913.
This figure, initially called “La Calavera Garbancera”, was a satire aimed at the Mexican bourgeoisie of the period of President Porfirio Díaz: women of indigenous or popular origins who, in the desire to resemble the European elite, denied their own culture and roots.
Posada used skulls and skeletons precisely to highlight an essential truth: in death we are all equal, regardless of status, race or wealth.
Transformation and iconization: Diego Rivera and Mexican identity
Posada’s image might have remained a niche satirical piece had it not been reinvented by Diego Rivera (1886-1957) in his monumental mural Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central (1946-47).
In that painting Rivera places the Catrina at the center of Mexican visual history: the dress of clothes that mix European and indigenous elements, places her in a national historical context, elevates her from a potential social caricature to a collective symbol of death and Mexican identity.
From there, the Catrina becomes a recognized icon, displayed in murals, reproduced in popular arts, in celebrations of the dead and in the visual memory of contemporary Mexico.
How it spread globally
Today the Catrina manifests itself in a thousand different forms: elaborate disguises, facial make-up that imitates the skeleton with floral ornaments, papier-mâché figures, collectible statuettes, decorations for the Día de los Muertos.
The imposing hat, the refined dress, the skeleton-woman: these elements have become almost standard, even if each local reinterpretation modifies the details.
The global presence of the Catrina – made an object of custom, a work of art, pop art – testifies to how much the figure has been adopted far beyond the Mexican borders.
Social and symbolic meaning
La Catrina embodies first and foremost the idea of death as the great leveler: rich and poor, powerful and forgotten, in the end they are all skulls. But it doesn’t stop there. The sumptuous dress and elegant hat evoke the vain aspiration of those who want to appear, forgetting their reality. In this sense, the Catrina is both social criticism and memento mori: an ironic but powerful reminder that there is no style that holds when death comes.
Furthermore, thanks to its popular and visual diffusion, the Catrina has become a symbol of Mexican identity: a visible sign of the culture that faces death not only with fear but also with celebration, memory and participation.
Critical issues and contemporary reflections
Despite its immense popularity, the Catrina is not without its contradictions. The fact that his image is now widely commercialized – sold as souvenirs, used as a theme for parties and costumes – risks watering down the original meaning: a profound social satire, a complex cultural expression, a reference to indigenous roots.
The global export of the Catrina has transformed a deep-rooted symbol into an aesthetic product, often consumed superficially.
The context becomes further complicated when the figure is used in contexts unrelated to the original celebration, associated with Halloween or costume events that ignore the Mexican ritual and cultural dimension. In these cases, the Catrina risks being reduced to a “trendy mask”, losing its power of criticism and memory.
There is also the theme of cultural appropriation: when those who do not know the history of the Catrina adopt it as a simple fashion element, the icon loses part of its meaning and function. In Mexico and in the diaspora communities there is growing discomfort at seeing a symbol that was born to claim identity and memory become an accessory.
These critical issues show that behind the elegant facade of the Catrina there is still a provocative and alive message: death is democratic, but memory must be cultivated, identity must be respected, and satire cannot be reduced to pure aesthetics.
SOURCES: whatcom museum
