La Calavera Catrina 卡翠娜骷髏頭 カトリーナ (骸骨の貴婦人)

La Calavera Catrina ("The Dapper [female] Skull") is an image and associated character originating as a zinc etching created by the Mexican printmaker and lithographer José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913). The image is usually dated c. 1910–12. Its first certain publication date is 1913, when it appeared in a satiric broadside (a newspaper-sized sheet of paper) as a photo-relief etching.

n 1946–47, the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886–1957) elaborated Posada's creation into a full-scale figure that he placed in his fresco "A Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Park" (now in the Museo Mural Diego Rivera). Whereas Posada's print intended to satirize upper class women of the Porfiriato, Rivera, through various iconographic attributes that referenced indigenous cultures, rehabilitated her into a Mexican national symbol.

La Catrina is a ubiquitous character associated with Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos), both in Mexico and around the world. Additionally, it has become an icon of Mexican identity, sometimes used in opposition to the Halloween Jack-o'-lantern.

Catrina became central to Mexican identity in part because Posada was made into the "primary artistic ancestor figure" for the generation of the Mexican Muralists. Additionally, for many years, influential Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico City were held at museums that centered on Rivera and Kahlo, where the Linares family made three-dimensional versions of Posada's prints out of papier mâché. Consequently, Posada, Rivera, and Kahlo were woven into foundational urban commemorations in Mexico City. Even without the Mesoamerican attributes Rivera provided to Catrina, she still functions as a national emblem associated specifically with Mexico.

Catrinas are currently fashioned out of two- and three-dimensional materials. These include drawings, prints, paintings, and paper-mâché sculptures, Oaxacan wood carvings, polychromed clay figures, and barro negro black clay pottery. Catrina is often paired with a male dandy skeleton, known as a Catrín. The concept of art is also widely applied in various entertainment forms, including movies, highly exemplified by the film Coco (2017), animated series, video games, and music videos.

"Catrin" and "Catrina" have become popular costumes during Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico and elsewhere. They typically feature calavera (skull) make-up. The male counterpart to the Catrina, wears the same skull makeup and black clothes, often a formal suit with a top hat or a mariachi costume. A cane might also be part of the costume. Catrinas can be dressed in black, white, or bright colors.

In Venice, the Day of the Dead (November 2nd, known as Il Giorno dei Morti or i morti) is a solemn, deeply moving tradition focused on visiting the island cemetery of San Michele. Locals honor deceased loved ones by bringing flowers and lighting candles, often taking free vaporettos to the island. While not a public holiday, it is a significant day of remembrance, marked by quiet reflection rather than the festive, party-focused atmosphere of Mexican Day of the Dead or American Halloween.

During Carnevale, Day of the Dead is becoming an increasingly popular theme. These portraits are from the Venice Carnevale, with my Italian friend Greta dressing up as Catrina.

The Venice Carnevale is not solely about masks. Many local Italians prefer painted faces/ historical costumes nowadays.