Posada knew by intuition and by experience what attracted the attention of the ordinary person. Each day he illustrated some noteworthy event that upset the routine course of life in Mexico. Graphic depictions of gory accidents, earthquakes, fires, and floods fascinated the people and fueled their religious beliefs and superstitions that punishment for the wrongs of mankind was paid by all.
Posada's prints have an expressionistic quality that goes beyond an ordinary visual and narrative reconstruction of an event. He captured the essence of an incident.
Wary of the "religion of progress" of the Díaz regime, Posada felt that economic development and the exploitation of resources led only to catastrophe. His prints hint at his disdain for technological advancements, especially of railways and electricity.