The world upside down ('El Mundo al Reves') 1861

Juan Llorens created this lithograph entitled ‘The World Upside Down’ in Barcelona in 1861. The print presents a series of vignettes depicting the reversal of social roles and natural order. These images draw on a long history of topsy-turvy imagery popular in European folk culture, and their resurgence here speaks to a period of significant social change. The rise of industrial capitalism was overturning established hierarchies, and in Spain, the social and political turmoil of the mid-19th century saw the questioning of traditional norms. Llorens’s print, published and sold from his own shop, suggests the artist aimed to speak to the anxieties and aspirations of ordinary people, rather than the elite institutions. To fully understand the print’s meaning, scholars would consult contemporary popular literature, political cartoons, and records of local customs to more fully understand the social context of the image. This print is a window into a society grappling with change, using humor and satire to question established orders.