Entre la Puta y Muerte

In this lithograph from 1992, Jimènez presents an allegorical subject featuring his own father, a great inspiration in his life, who was ill and nearing death at the time. Here, he is depicted as a frail, old man being supported by Santa Muerte (Mexico’s Saint of Death), at his right, and a female prostitute, at his left. The female skeletal figure, Santa Muerte, is a personification of death associated with healing, protection, and safe passage to the afterlife. Like the prostitute, Santa Muerte is an autonomous force whose indulgence can be bought with a sacrifice. Often associated with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, she is honored primarily in Mexico and the Southwestern United States.