Happy Dia De Los Muertos!💀🎉

Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a two-day holiday that reunites the living and dead. The holiday and celebrations have Aztec origins, tracing back to the goddess Mictecacihuatl (Lady of the Dead). Families create ofrendas (offerings) to honor their family members who have passed. These altars are decorated with yellow marigold flowers, photos, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored. The offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear prayers, smell their foods, and join in the celebrations!

A `calavera de azúcar" is a sugar skull. These skulls are molded out of sugar and adorned with colorful beads, foils, icing, glitter, feathers, rhinestones, and more. Those who celebrate write their deceased loved one`s name on the forehead and place it on an ofrenda.

The iconic Catrina skull makeup has its origins in Mexico’s pre-Columbian past, with influences from Aztec and Mayan traditions. However, it became widely recognized during the 20th century, particularly through the work of Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada. Posada’s famous etching, “La Calavera Catrina,” or “The dapper lady’s skull,” depicted a female skeleton with a plumed hat, satirizing the Mexican elite’s emulation of European fashions. Catrina makeup isn’t solely about death. It is a vibrant celebration of life, as it adorns the living during the Día de los Muertos festivities. Signifying that life and death are interconnected, and the departed should be celebrated rather than mourned.

Shown:
"Texoctic" by Brad Overton, 2020 ...

What type of art do skeletons like the most?
Skulltures of course!💀
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Happy Halloween from Vincent van Bones and everyone at the R. W. Norton Art Gallery!🎃
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Looking for a great way to get the festivities going before trick-or-treating tonight? Come and spend this frightful Friday afternoon here at the museum, where you can find hair-raising works of art and make sure to tell Vincent hello when you see him! ...

Introducing our spookiest new team member here at the Norton, Vincent van Bones!💀
Follow along with him on our social media stories as he stalks the museum halls, discovering art, activities, and more. Visit the museum this week, and you may even run into him making mischief yourself! ...

Spooky Spotlight👻

"Prochainement- Tournée du Chat Noire Rodolphe Salis" by Théophile Steinlen (1859-1923), 1886
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"Tournée du Chat Noir" was created in 1896 for Le Chat Noir, a Parisian establishment founded by impresario Rodolphe Salis that is now considered by many as the first modern cabaret. The iconic image of a black cat with a sly expression, arched back, and a halo-like circle symbolizes the bohemian and avant-garde spirit of the era. Steinlen`s design is a direct, satirical reference to the elaborate halos in Alphonse Mucha`s posters, and the artwork became a lasting symbol of Parisian cabaret culture even after the cabaret closed in 1897.

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen was a French-Swiss artist best known for his Art Nouveau poster designs and paintings. Steilen often depicted animals, specifically cats, as well as the bohemian cabaret culture of turn-of-the-century Paris. Cats appealed to Steinlen for their charm, movement, and character, as well as for their symbolic properties. Born on November10, 1859 in Lausanne, Switzerland, Steinlen studied design at the University of Lausanne, before moving to Paris. Amidst the artistic avant-garde in Montmarte, it was at the notorious Le Chat Noir club, that Steinlen met artists like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Louis Anquetin, Adolphe Willette, and Félix Vallotton. 🐈 ...